Heir Hunters TV programme

[PBirchwood]

If you want to get on the BV list, first thing is to die. After that, you can leave the rest to your friendly neighbourhood social services.

[Guy Etchells]

All local offices have indexes that are searchable for a fee even though as Guy will tell you it should be free to search

Rob

No all registers in the keeping of the local registrar are free to search.

There is a difference
Cheers
Guy

[skb]

If you want to get on the BV list, first thing is to die. After that, you can leave the rest to your friendly neighbourhood social services.

So ...  2 things I'd prefer to avoid. Better get round to making a will then.

Thanks Peter.

[acorngen]

Getting onto the BV list is not that hard.  Move miles from your family, tell your neighbours nothing, then die leaving no clues as to where you are from.  The law then requires a proate solicitor to advertise for heirs to come forward in the paper (usually one local to your death) after set period of time no one comes forward, so solicitor pays any creditors and himself then turns the rest over to the treasury who then put it on BV.

Social Services have no part in it.  With no family the estate would pay for the burial if enough money exists.  Someone will correct me but I believe all those listed on BV are estates over £5000

[Plummiegirl]

I have a question for Peter Birchwood.  What programme do you use to print out the 'basic' trees you use.

It would suit my style ideally, I only want to print out a very basic tree as a back-up to the data I have in files.  And the style would be OK for me to send copies of our tree to my 2 elderly cousins.

Look forward to hearing from you.  I am sure I am not the only person who would like this system you & the others on the programme use.

[skb]

genresearch:

I can understand that solicitors or someone need to make enquiries about heirs, but what I was really thinking (which perhaps isn't clear) is how do they know that there is a person who has died, whose affairs need sorting out? Who is responsible for notifying them?  And I suppose that is where Social Services come in.

[FraserandFraser]

Sorry "genresearch"

not quite right, what Peter said is correct most cases are passed by the Social Services; Probate solicitors have no grounds to charge the estate so very few would want to put adverts out the certainly wouldn't pay creditors with out authority and until an heir is found no one has authority.

The house really did sit empty until we were told about it, really several years, with no one even looking for the heirs. If you know of any house like that we would be happy to have a look at it.


Neil

[Plummiegirl]

Touting for customers  tch tch!!!!

Glad to see in todays programme (Mon 8/02) that those 2 despicable men got what they deserve.  Modern day grave robbers.

[jim1]

Nationwide there are 10's of 1000's of derelict properties,I know some Councils do make an effort to trace the owners but I wonder if anyone has tried to match the owners with the BV list.Maybe Councils should post lists of known but untraced owners.
I think Andrew Fraser had every right to look pleased with himself after today's prog.
jim