DSResaerchers

[Filo]

I wonder if anyone else has had a letter from this company out of the blue?

Apparently they are a heir hunters kind of company, they inform me that I may be a heir from an unclaimed estate, at first My initial thought was it’s a scam, but looking into it every thing points to it being genuine, the paper is good quality paper, theres a glossy leaflet that comes with the letter explaining what they do. The Company is registered with Companies house, they do say to call them if I have any doubts, I will be calling them on Monday morning, they want to see my birth certificate which I’m reluctant to send, but the Company is only in Willerby near Hull, so I am going to suggest I go to their offices to show my birth certificate instead. I just wondered if anyone else has had this kind of thing?

[SydneyRover]

There's a bit of chat on various forums Filo but if you have been at the same address for a while it can't be a very close relative or you would either know or you would be found I would think. Fingers crossed.

https://www.unclaimedestates.com/blog/1067/what-happens-to-unclaimed-estates

[Filo]

There's a bit of chat on various forums Filo but if you have been at the same address for a while it can't be a very close relative or you would either know or you would be found I would think. Fingers crossed.

https://www.unclaimedestates.com/blog/1067/what-happens-to-unclaimed-estates

Well I’ve done a bit of internet digging this morning, theres a Govt website with a list of unclaimed estates called bon vacantia, the fifth entry on it is a woman who’s surname is the same as my mothers surname, died a spinster in Middlesex in March last year, I don’t know if any of my Mothers siblings are still alive or not, I’m assuming not, so the next steps down is to go to my Generation, my Cousins, I don’t know apart from one if any of them have died, if none of the others have died it leaves 8 of us that should have got the same letter, I know my brother got one, 3 cousins moved to Australia in 1969 Adelaide, perhaps they are untraceable? and of the other three I have no idea of their whereabouts

[Muttley]

It's not exactly an uncommon surname though, is it?

Is there anything to link your family to Middlesex? Have you got anyone with that name in your family tree?

I'd imagine that the company has just written to loads of people on the electoral roll with the same name on the off chance that one of them has a valid claim in which case they will take a % of the claim.

[Bentley Bullet]

I received a letter from an heir hunter company a few years back telling me I had been left some money from a distant family member from Retford. My brother and sisters also received similar letters. We didn't have to provide any personal details as far as I remember, and we definitely didn't have to produce birth certificates.

A few weeks later, after looking through a few holiday brochures and new cars available, we each received a cheque for £12.50!

Whether we weren't asked to supply birth certificates because it was such a low award, I'm not sure.

[Filo]

It's not exactly an uncommon surname though, is it?

Is there anything to link your family to Middlesex? Have you got anyone with that name in your family tree?

I'd imagine that the company has just written to loads of people on the electoral roll with the same name on the off chance that one of them has a valid claim in which case they will take a % of the claim.

I don’t really know much from my mothers side at all, but I have plenty of stuff from my Dads side including birth marraige and Death certificates going back to the 1700’s

[Draytonian III]

There was a programme on tv aptly called Heir Hunters a few years back and the company featured used to take about 40% commission if you signed with them, so I’d be very careful signing anything before you’ve looked into it closer .Have you thought about doing your own investigation into this person or maybe contacting Citizens Advice etc, houses and land in Middlesex are worth a few quid and that’s why these firms get involved

[Filo]

There was a programme on tv aptly called Heir Hunters a few years back and the company featured used to take about 40% commission if you signed with them, so I’d be very careful signing anything before you’ve looked into it closer .Have you thought about doing your own investigation into this person or maybe contacting Citizens Advice etc, houses and land in Middlesex are worth a few quid and that’s why these firms get involved

According to the letter they take 8% + VAT from my potential share

[wilts rover]

If you do a quick internet search for the person I think you are reffering to Filo - you come up with her details on another unclaimed estate site which gives her date of birth as 1946.

Using those details I looked on a genealogy website, Ancestery, and found someone by that name whose birth was registered in Middlesex in 1946.

So worth looking up your mum's details to see if she has any connection to this family.

There would have been a notice published in the local newspaper (Harrow Times?) giving some details of the estate if you want to contact them too.

Of course this is all work that this company will do for you for their 8%.

Good luck.

[Filo]

Update on this, it turns out the person was my Mothers Cousin, theres likely to be a few heirs given that my Grandad was one of 9 siblings, so there will be a few of my generation that are still around I would imagine

[SydneyRover]

As Muttley said .................

''I'd imagine that the company has just written to loads of people on the electoral roll with the same name on the off chance that one of them has a valid claim in which case they will take a % of the claim''

[Filo]

UPDATE

False alarm, different family, turns out my Grandad and another bloke with the same surname both married Women with a same surname, no relation, the inheritance is on the other blokes family, not lost owt though