Heir Hunters Series 5

[afossil]

Hi
I have not watched the programme much but I found the Times article very interesting.  Link below for those who missed it.  Must try and catch it more often.

http://www.titleresearch.com/getdoc/4b0f31f4-6dd6-489a-8561-45809e4b8d2b/The-Times

afossil

[FraserandFraser]

Like I said an article written after a lot of lobbing, the true story is so different as I am sure you would have worked out.

I know I would be happier to have the work carried out by experienced people in the UK rather than shipped out to the cheap labour overseas.

Fraser and Fraser charge using every possible method we can think of and leave it up to the instructing party to choose the method they prefer, however how TS cases currently work it is just not possible or ethical to have a firm instructed to charge by the hour when there is no one empowered to instruct them. It is the responsibility of the firm to ensure that the fee (as a %)reflects the work done and required. I believe there is ground for regulation but also think that us, as well as several other firms have opened up to regulation in the form or the accreditation we hold. I also think that by the industry working like this in a competitive form the heir, is getting the best deal as they can negotiate with possible more than 1 firm. If a single firm was instructed by the hour there is little or no room for negotiations.

I could go on for a long time when talking about fees but don't think this is the correct place or format for such a decision, all I can say is that we all have our own opinion and with out all the facts it is hard to draw a conclusion, but neither an hourly charge or a % fee is perfect, and I believe the  choice  should be made by the instructing party, not dictated by a genealogist.

[Nick29]

Neil, in a very recent repeat currently on BBC1, the programme went into more detail on how your company can assist families in dealing with property and effects of a deceased person.   I think this subject deserves a programme of its own, because the original programme left so many aspects barely covered, for example whether (and how) descendents get involved with the handling of personal effects, and whether disputes ever arise over the distribution of personal effects.  I realise that you can't comment on individual cases, but this is a side to the work of Fraser and Fraser that we rarely see.

I really wish that your company had dealt with my half-brother's effects - unfortunately the company that dealt with his estate didn't care about items with only sentimental value, and I was glad to see that yours does.   I'm not sure what photos and papers that my half-brother left when he died, but as far as I can tell, it was all binned.

I'm very much looking forward to the new series at the end of the year.

[marcie dean]

The work my husband does is paid on contract price from which he works out his hourly rate.  it is neither a percentage of the contract nor an hourly sum. but from the contract price he can work out what his hourly rate would be and from that if it is less than say £25 per hour he is working at a loss.

Maybe something like this would allow for competitiveness and keep the prices logical for the clients.
marcie

[Redroger]

Fraser and Fraser, I am intrigued by your remark in the post 16.8.10. "Documents that used to be open to the public, but no longer are" Can you enlighten us further on these please? I thought the idea was to have a more open society.

[FraserandFraser]

Marcie,

with out some one to instruct a firm there cant be a contract price, it doesn't matter how you charge, fixed fee (contract rate) or hourly there is still no one authorised to instruct.


RedRoger,

data protection ect means that more and more records are being locked down and access denied we however shill have old copied of these records, and no I will not tell you what records!!

[Finley 1]

Crikey  -- we better grab what info we can then-- before its all in lockdown..... what a world we live in...

I do understand the need of privacy amongst 'Living people'  I dont want my life spread around for all to see...
but surely if they  moved on from this planet over a hundred years ago then its not so much of a problem ---

Its ok Neil  I am not digging for Info... I think what you do is great and you earn every penny -- So I dont expect you to give info out for 'nada'--- Of course you have to take a percentage... and the people you actually  'HELP' should realise that without it... they would not have the money from a relation that they had no previous knowledge of.........

xin

[Redroger]

I can think of at least one group of documents which are now "edited" before publication.

[Magsnags]

Huge fan of the programme and another one who Sky plu's it!!  I would love to know if,  since the first time this series was aired will making has increased. And also if anyone watching the programme and believing themselves to be alone in the world has got in touch with one of the companies shown and asked them to find if they have any relatives? The reason I thought this was I watched a programe the other day where a first cousin was traced (by Hoopers) and she honestly believed she was the last of her line - but she had first cousins once removed all over the world and was going to be given their address's to write to them. Just a thought!
Maggie