Heir Hunters - Treethorpe

[KGarrad]

I think it's likely they are confident of having information that is not easy to come by?

[Girl Guide]

I do wonder sometimes whether these heir hunting firms have access to government records that the general public can't.  Whether that's true or not I don't know.

Some information here about being contacted by an heir hunting firm:-

https://www.yourmoney.com/saving-banking/contacted-by-an-heir-hunter-how-to-tell-if-its-genuine/

[Pennines]

Just for info --- we were contacted by a firm of Heir Hunters a few years ago. I checked on them, like you, and they were legit.

They didn't give me a name BUT - they had contacted me firstly via Ancestry, enquiring initially about my husband's grandparents. My tree was private so I asked this person how they thought they were related before I opened the tree. At that they revealed they were Heir Hunters and gave me the company name.

Hence knowing the surname they were looking at - I searched Bona Vacantia and discovered that the eldest sister, unmarried -- of my father in law, was listed. No amounts were shown.

We decided to go it alone, as it was a big family and we contacted almost 30 other descendants. We had to send several records to the Gov Dept -- then they would send those back and ask for the next lot and so on. It was as though they were checking and ticking off that evidence before proceeding to ask for the next batch of evidence. Only one member of the family applied (otherwise it would have been a nightmare).

It was rather laborious I have to say -- and a very small estate. However it was so interesting to see how the system worked. We did split it between all my husbands brothers, sisters and cousins. Quite a lot of admin was involved!

[brigidmac]

Interesting topic thanks for sharing your decision making process

My grandfather was one of ten ...his siblings emigrated worldwide ive just traced the final branch of descendants..they were actually in England but hardest to find ...it took 11 years

So if you dont know the siblings already I can imagine how hard it would be .

[Pennines]

In our case it was an Irish family -- but my father in law's generation had all sadly died - the last one, earlier in the same year that the Heir Hunters contacted us.

One of my husband's cousins knew that the eldest sister, Mary (the one on the Bona Vacantia list) -- had run away from Ireland to England in her teens (possibly pregnant?) -- and as far as anyone knew all contact was lost with her family.

My father in law certainly never mentioned her (and he talked a lot!!)

[danuslave]

Forgot to say - the case manager said that all beneficiaries will get a family tree and copies of the certificates they have got.  Those alone will save me a few pennies

The estate isn't on Bona Vacantia.  The lady concerned was in a home for most of her life and could not have made a legitimate will.  I suspect that  Treethorpe have been engaged directly to deal with the estate

Thanks for the interest.  I'll keep you posted with progress!

[Pennines]

Good Luck danuslave -- it's exciting when you have that contact from Heir Hunters isn't it.

[groom]

One of the problems about doing it yourself I believe is that you would need to take out an insurance just in case someone who had a claim appeared later!

[danuslave]

I have received more information about the estate from Treethorpe, still without signing up (though I will)

To paraphrase from their brochure:-

"We do not use the expression Heir Hunter to describe ourselves or our service.  Our Probate Research estate work mostly originates from cases referred by a local authority or the last organisation/body responsible for the care of the individual whilst they were alive"