On 24/12/14 15:56, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote: > In message <[email protected]>, MB <[email protected]> writes: > [] >> I don't know if anyone has mentioned but there is a TV programme here >> in the UK that follows of the work of companies that do 'heir >> hunting'. They go through the lists of unclaimed estates and try to >> reach the heirs before any of their competitors. >> >> But they can be brought in before that stage. I think sometimes they >> are contacted by neighbours, friends of the deceased person or other >> interested parties. >> >> I understand that the bigger heir hunting companies charge quite high >> commissions for their work but there are also smaller one or two man >> businesses. >> >> > What's always puzzled me is how they _make_ their commission; what > obligation does a potential inheritor, even after the AH has/have > contacted them, to have anything to do with the AH? > It's not only done on spec. Some years ago my mother & her siblings were approached by solicitors looking after the estate. I assume that in this case either there was a will or the solicitors had been instructed by the deceased in her lifetime. The solicitors had engaged probate investigators to locate relatives as the deceased lived at the other end of the country. Unfortunately the first lot had made a pigs ear of the investigation & a second firm had had to be engaged. The first lot had still charged for their work, however. -- Ian The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang at austonley org uk

If they are engaged by someone to search for heirs then they will and can charge for work done even if they mess up, though I guess a solicitor would argue re charging for poor work. Those that use the published lists from the Treasury to hunt for heirs only make money if they sign up any heirs, that is why they try to work large "estates" only. The Treasury stopped publishing the size of the "estates" to stop fraudulent claims. Gordon "Ian Goddard" wrote in message news:[email protected] It's not only done on spec. Some years ago my mother & her siblings were approached by solicitors looking after the estate. I assume that in this case either there was a will or the solicitors had been instructed by the deceased in her lifetime. The solicitors had engaged probate investigators to locate relatives as the deceased lived at the other end of the country. Unfortunately the first lot had made a pigs ear of the investigation & a second firm had had to be engaged. The first lot had still charged for their work, however. -- Ian The Hotmail address is my spam-bin. Real mail address is iang at austonley org uk