"Heir Hunters" #2

[Springbok]

We caught up with a couple of episodes this evening and my OH (retd. MN), made a point to which it would be interesting to know the answer.

The case was of Vincent McGarry who had served in the Army.

All service personnel have to make a Will .(and many in the MN ,also)

Would the claims become invalid if a will was subsequently discovered , and how was the possibility overlooked ?

Spring

[Springbok]

Hi Chutzpah,

Well yes, if you live in the same area as your ancestors,and you know that they will be registered  locally then you can go in to your local register office and ask for BMD certs.Price  maybe the same or cheaper. Someone else will know that (it has been mentioned on another thread )

Your e-mail confirmations from GRO will tell you the earliest date of dispatch (you will have to add on delivery time from posting) Sometimes the certs. will come earlier than expected and sometimes later if the search proves difficult.

Good Hunting and welcome to Rootschat

Spring

[tabily]

Dear everyone..

If you live in Australia and wish you could get into "Heir Hunters"....Series 3 is premiering on the LifeStyle Channel(Foxtel/Austar) in September.. It is fantastic...

cheers Tabily

[Chutzpah]

Hi Chutzpah,

Well yes, if you live in the same area as your ancestors,and you know that they will be registered  locally then you can go in to your local register office and ask for BMD certs.Price  maybe the same or cheaper. Someone else will know that (it has been mentioned on another thread )

Your e-mail confirmations from GRO will tell you the earliest date of dispatch (you will have to add on delivery time from posting) Sometimes the certs. will come earlier than expected and sometimes later if the search proves difficult.

Good Hunting and welcome to Rootschat

Spring

Hm, I've finally found a reference about this for the local registry office (I looked yesterday but couldn't find a thing), and it is the rather perfunctory:

Family historians are requested to apply for certificates by post and not call casually at the Register Office. Whilst staff will always try to help, they do have other statutory duties to carry out every day and are often very busy with current births, deaths and marriages. Postal applications are normally dealt with promptly as they are received.

Also known as "stop bothering us you horrible lot" 

A lot of my family appear to be from this area though, so I might give them a go next time. What has confused me about ordering online from the GRO is that I gave full index reference for the certificates. Maybe the others were nearer the back of the archives! 

[Eking]

Bona Vacantia list

For some reason,  I've started to record the list each week.  Not that I think there will be anyone on there to inherit from.

Interesting to see how long some estates take to get to the list. One today from 2000 and one from 1991.

also noticed this on FAQ

Is there a time limit for making a claim?
    In most cases the claim will become statute barred 12 years after the date that the administration of the estate is substantially completed. The Treasury Solicitor operates a discretionary policy whereby claims may be admitted up to 30 years from the date of death. 

I didn't think they indicated on Heir Hunters that up to 30 years was discretionary policy.

[Nick29]

We caught up with a couple of episodes this evening and my OH (retd. MN), made a point to which it would be interesting to know the answer.

The case was of Vincent McGarry who had served in the Army.

All service personnel have to make a Will .(and many in the MN ,also)

Would the claims become invalid if a will was subsequently discovered , and how was the possibility overlooked ?

Spring

Lots of wills made in earlier times were "simple wills" which noted the serviceman's next-of-kin and his wishes for the distribution of his assets, but these would not stand up in a court of law, because they were not properly witnessed.  Modern servicemen do have the ability to draw up legal wills, but I'm not sure how long they have had this option.

[Nick29]

Bona Vacantia list

For some reason,  I've started to record the list each week.  Not that I think there will be anyone on there to inherit from.

Interesting to see how long some estates take to get to the list. One today from 2000 and one from 1991.

It's the duty of the executor of an estate to make sure that they explore all avenues in finding heirs (or a will) and this process can take some time.  Most of the cases that make it on to the bona vacantia list will already have been researched by at least one company, because the average person acting as executor won't be able to do the searches themselves.   Also note that the episodes now being screened in the UK are repeats of earlier series, which have been tacked on to the current series.

[Danchaslyn]

An 89 year old rellie, suddenly divulged yesterday, at a family gathering, that whilst he was away, at sea, during the first part of WW2, his solicitor, who administered his late father's Estate, had 'allowed someone to commence building on a large plot of land', which was supposed to be held 'in trust' for this rellie, from his late father.

TEN houses were being built on the plot and this was only discovered when said rellie, returned on shore leave and just happened to stroll past 'his plot' and discovered 10 houses being built on it.

The same day, his solicitor (who was his father's solicitor) convinced him, that as the country was at war, none of the same rules applied, and that as part of the war effort, said plot had been commandeered for the building of houses.

Has anyone else heard of this phenomenon?

Cheers

Danchaslyn
 

[Springbok]

Thanks Nick,

I know our  retirement Estate (for ret'd MN / RN personnel) requires all of us to make wills .  and to say with whom they are lodged.

Eliminately sensible .

Danchaslyn,

That sounds like a scam to me. Even if the land had been compulsorily purchased there would have been money to come!and legal documents.to prove this transaction.
certainly most unlikely during the first part of the war.

My Grandpa was a builder and had land during the War. But in no case was he made to build on it . Too many houses needed rebuilding / repairing.

Spring