Hi to all the above Rootsweb mailing listers who live in England, Have you been watching the programme 'Heirhunters' which is being shown presently at 9.15 every morning on BBC1? I've only just discovered it this week and I love it! It shows a team of genealogists searching for relatives of someone who has died without making a will and having no known family. They look up the censuses to make up family trees, and births,deaths and marriages to determine who make up the family and if they are still living could be entitled to a share of any estate. Apparently if a person dies intestate then the money goes to the Treasury. The company acquires a list (I wonder from where? Anyone know?) of people who have died intestate and they race against the clock to find possible heirs before rival companies find them. No doubt the company gets a large commission from any inheritance that is proved by them and finally paid out to the heirs! There are some sad cases on there e.g. a person who for some reason left home at 17 never to be heard of again by the family who dies years later alone with no family around him and no one to leave his money to. The family only get to hear of his death via the company Fraser and Fraser who then inform them that they are entitled to the inheritance - less commission of course! How much the company gets I don't know but some possible heirs choose to not sign a contract and make their own application to the state for the money. Also, a couple who was cared for in their later years by a nephew who thought he would be left some of their money. In fact they said they wanted him to have their money as a thank you for his help and care. But unfortunately now will was made, they became infirm, the aunt died leaving her husband (who wasn't a blood relative to the nephew) who died a while afterwards from Alzheimer's. Fraser and Fraser find an heir who is so remotely connected (but by blood) to the deceased that they never even knew the person existed, but was thrilled to learn that they inherited everything. The poor nephew who did all the work though received nothing. This is the website for the programme and the company that is featured in the programme - _http://www.fraserandfraser.com/heirhunters/default.htm_ (http://www.fraserandfraser.com/heirhunters/default.htm) Loads of interesting information on there that we should all be aware of! Regards Diana

Hadn't heard of it, but thankfully it is on the BBC iPlayer (www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer) Interesting about the ability to claim from the treasury, presumably there's a time limit involved? I'm sure I could quite easily find a few estates in my tree that went intestate! Tony Dianadiluca@aol.com wrote: > Hi to all the above Rootsweb mailing listers who live in England, > > Have you been watching the programme 'Heirhunters' which is being shown > presently at 9.15 every morning on BBC1? I've only just discovered it this week > and I love it! It shows a team of genealogists searching for relatives of > someone who has died without making a will and having no known family. They > look up the censuses to make up family trees, and births,deaths and marriages > to determine who make up the family and if they are still living could be > entitled to a share of any estate. Apparently if a person dies intestate then > the money goes to the Treasury. The company acquires a list (I wonder from > where? Anyone know?) of people who have died intestate and they race against > the clock to find possible heirs before rival companies find them. No doubt > the company gets a large commission from any inheritance that is proved by > them and finally paid out to the heirs! > > There are some sad cases on there e.g. a person who for some reason left > home at 17 never to be heard of again by the family who dies years later alone > with no family around him and no one to leave his money to. The family only > get to hear of his death via the company Fraser and Fraser who then inform > them that they are entitled to the inheritance - less commission of course! How > much the company gets I don't know but some possible heirs choose to not > sign a contract and make their own application to the state for the money. > Also, a couple who was cared for in their later years by a nephew who thought he > would be left some of their money. In fact they said they wanted him to have > their money as a thank you for his help and care. But unfortunately now > will was made, they became infirm, the aunt died leaving her husband (who wasn't > a blood relative to the nephew) who died a while afterwards from > Alzheimer's. Fraser and Fraser find an heir who is so remotely connected (but by blood) > to the deceased that they never even knew the person existed, but was > thrilled to learn that they inherited everything. The poor nephew who did all the > work though received nothing. > > > This is the website for the programme and the company that is featured in > the programme - _http://www.fraserandfraser.com/heirhunters/default.htm_ > (http://www.fraserandfraser.com/heirhunters/default.htm) Loads of interesting > information on there that we should all be aware of! > > Regards > > Diana > > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >

Hi Diana Yes it is a great program have been watching it also. Every Thursday the list is posted on the Bona Vacantia site. At one stage they used to put the amount of the estate but then stopped doing that to prevent fraud. I was contacted in a similar way to some money that was owed to me and I didnt know anything about it. I signed up as the amount they deducted from my money was very small in comparison. So I would think that those who decided to go it alone decided they didnt wish to part with any of their inheritance. regards Tricia ----- Original Message ----- From: <Dianadiluca@aol.com> To: <essex-uk@rootsweb.com>; <ENG-HERTFORDSHIRE@rootsweb.com>; <GLOUCESTER@rootsweb.com>; <MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, July 17, 2008 5:47 PM Subject: Re: [Ess] Heir Hunters > Hi to all the above Rootsweb mailing listers who live in England, > > Have you been watching the programme 'Heirhunters' which is being shown > presently at 9.15 every morning on BBC1? I've only just discovered it > this week > and I love it! It shows a team of genealogists searching for relatives > of > someone who has died without making a will and having no known family. > They > look up the censuses to make up family trees, and births,deaths and > marriages > to determine who make up the family and if they are still living could be > entitled to a share of any estate. Apparently if a person dies intestate > then > the money goes to the Treasury. The company acquires a list (I wonder > from > where? Anyone know?) of people who have died intestate and they race > against > the clock to find possible heirs before rival companies find them. No > doubt > the company gets a large commission from any inheritance that is proved > by > them and finally paid out to the heirs! > > There are some sad cases on there e.g. a person who for some reason left > home at 17 never to be heard of again by the family who dies years later > alone > with no family around him and no one to leave his money to. The family > only > get to hear of his death via the company Fraser and Fraser who then > inform > them that they are entitled to the inheritance - less commission of > course! How > much the company gets I don't know but some possible heirs choose to not > sign a contract and make their own application to the state for the > money. > Also, a couple who was cared for in their later years by a nephew who > thought he > would be left some of their money. In fact they said they wanted him to > have > their money as a thank you for his help and care. But unfortunately now > will was made, they became infirm, the aunt died leaving her husband (who > wasn't > a blood relative to the nephew) who died a while afterwards from > Alzheimer's. Fraser and Fraser find an heir who is so remotely connected > (but by blood) > to the deceased that they never even knew the person existed, but was > thrilled to learn that they inherited everything. The poor nephew who > did all the > work though received nothing. > > > This is the website for the programme and the company that is featured in > the programme - _http://www.fraserandfraser.com/heirhunters/default.htm_ > (http://www.fraserandfraser.com/heirhunters/default.htm) Loads of > interesting > information on there that we should all be aware of! > > Regards > > Diana > > > > > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > Any problems, please contact the List Admin: Essex-UK-admin@rootsweb.com > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > ESSEX-UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

Dianadiluca@aol.com wrote: > No doubt > the company gets a large commission from any inheritance that is proved by > them and finally paid out to the heirs! Bewtween 25% and 33% apparently but once you know there is an inheritance then you can check on the government website, Bona Vacantia, then do the research and claim the inheritance yourself. No fees are payable to the heir hunters so long as you don't sign anything. There's no reason why a competent genealogist or family historian couldn't do the research necessary.