"Heir Hunters"

[lyla]

Hi, I'm enjoying the new series but I'm a bit confused. The beginning of each programme shows F&F on a thursday morning choosing a name from the new list published by Bona Vacantia. The list on that website doesnt show the estate values so how do they know which ones are worth following up?  The names listed on the bbc website do have the estate values so I assume they must have been available somewhere?

Lyla

[mshrmh]

Lyla - Bona Vacantia did used to put the values on its site. I think somewhere on one of the earlier threads it was mentioned that they'd had to remove this after there were attempts at scams after the first series of Heir Hunters - such is life!

I'd be interested to know how they choose now too - on one of the programmes I did get the impression that by looking at electoral rolls, land registry and talking to neighbours they were trying to assess whether the person had property - perhaps Neil Fraser can tell us, or it may be a valuable trade secret

[lyla]

Oh what a pity. It must make the job so much harder now. Imagine doing all that work and building up the hopes of the beneficiaries only to find out there was just a few quid in the pot.

Another question for Neil. Are all the names on the BBC websites people that F&F have tried to trace and have failed? I assume the death certificates at least have already been obtained because you know the dates of birth.

Lyla

[annieoburns]

I would be interested in the other end of the scale, say 30 years on and just when estate is about to be forfeited to the state as no claims.  Is there a list of these?   I suppose success rate drops off dramatically with time lapse hence less intentive for commercial firms.

I would imagine they pick out the more interesting names especially those with middle name as easier to make progress with.  A person's address would be a good indicator of wealth as, if owned, might form large part of estate.  Surely they do not wait 30 years to dispose of property?  Presumably someone intervenes and money is held in case a claim is made,

Anne

[mshrmh]

Anne - that's interesting what you say about

the other end of the scale, say 30 years on and just when estate is about to be forfeited to the state as no claims.  Is there a list of these?   I suppose success rate drops off dramatically with time lapse hence less intentive for commercial firms.

There is one thing that might help on some of the older unclaimed estates - ie the availability of the census as a possible source of information. Say, for example someone died in 1980 there's is probably a higher chance of finding their parents together on the 1901 census than there is for someone who died in 2007 - that could lead to siblings/grandparents/aunts & uncles. Having said that I'm suspect that all other avenues will already have been tried long ago on any estate of size so this might apply to very few.

I too can't think that they wait 30 years to realise the estate - perhaps someone knows what is standard practice. I suppose that assets are realised & monies transferred to the Treasury & any later claims have access to the money then, in the same way as is supposed to be the case in future with "dormant" savings accounts.

[madpants]

I'm really enjoying this series of Heir Hunters,

Neil, why don't you add your name to Tephra's scavenger hunt list to see if you can find any more out about Neta/Nettie Axen? 

[mosiefish]

Hi,

Only just came across this thread.  Yes. I too enjoy watching Heir Hunters and thank you Neil for contributing to this thread.

However, I still cringe everytime it is on as I remember getting a letter several years ago from a company in London asking me to contact them.  I also thought it was a scam and binned it.  Argghhhh!!! 

Mo

[Suki 1]

My dad  was one of the beneficiaries through Fraser & Fraser.  In 1995 he got a letter about a relative he didnt know about saying he was entitled to a share in her estate - a 1/54th of £200,000!!! I think he ended up with just over £2000. Fortunately he kept all the paperwork they sent him and its been a good help with my family tree. I got loads of names & BMD's that I wouldnt have known about so they did my work for me, Good lads!!!. Pity it wasnt a closer relative though 

[toni*]

I watched the Atkins one last night on I-Player
i am not going to give anything away for those who have not watched it but i think they shouldn't assume middle names although they were correct in this case.

what they said is there is only one birth with the middle name which matches the middle inital of R but she could have equally been registered with no middle name showing. and also they didnt know the mothers age, all they had to go on was the deceased birth certificate, this does not show ages of the parents but they checked a certain period of time for the mothers birth, i assume they go on the time of the menstrutal period? i.e. from aged what are we talking 14 to age 50