Oh Dear

[Heir hunted]

Have I shot myself in the foot, Heir hunter contacted me via mail.

Thought it was a scam as he wanted a contract signed stating various costs if claim was unsuccessful. (so didn't sign and forgot about it)

Just found out a relative signed and has just been paid out a small but useful sum.

Ive read I'm entitled to my share but have no idea how to get it.

Any thoughts?

[PallasAthena]

First step: go to this site (official government site) and find the grant of probate for the person who died. That should state who was appointed the Adminstrator of the Estate. There a small fee for download it. Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales)

When you have it come back and let us know who the administrator is (not their actual name, but is it a relative of ther deceased, someone you know?) and when was the grant of probate/letters of administration issued by the probate service.

[Heir hunted]

First step: go to this site (official government site) and find the grant of probate for the person who died. That should state who was appointed the Adminstrator of the Estate. There a small fee for download it. Search probate records for documents and wills (England and Wales)

When you have it come back and let us know who the administrator is (not their actual name, but is it a relative of ther deceased, someone you know?) and when was the grant of probate/letters of administration issued by the probate service.

I don't understand, the only match it comes up with is a different forename, and he had a will leaving all to his wife.

But my person died intestate!

[PallasAthena]

OK, not a problem, it most likely means that because no living relatives could be located at the time the person died the estate was added to the government "Bona Vacantia" list and is now being administered by the government legal department.

The heir hunter companies use the BV list and track down people they think are entitled to inherit and then offer to submit a claim to the BV department - for a fee - but you do not have to use an heir hunter company to do this. You can do it yourself. Normally the heir hunter companies do not disclose who the deceased is until after you agree to pay them but in this case you do know who it is and when they died.

How to make a claim is explained here:

Make a claim to a deceased person's estate - GOV.UK

The only slight glitch in this at the moment is that normally you would go to the published Bona Vacantia list and identify that the estate is on it and make the claim from the list. But if you go to the list at the moment you get this page telling you the list has been "temporarily removed" - No longer available - GOV.UK and Temporary removal of the unclaimed Estates list - GOV.UK

They have done this because there has recently been an exposé in the media (BBC Radio 4) about fraudsters making fake claims to steal BV estates and so the BV list has been removed within the last couple of weeks while the government decides what it is going to do to reduce the fraud risk. They don't explain how you submit claims in the meantime but there is an email address for the BV estate administrators so I would email them and ask them how to proceed. bvestates@governmentlegal.gov.uk Mention that you know that another relative has already successfully submitted a claim.

[Heir hunted]

Thank you so much Pallasathena, I will give that a go and keep you informed.

[Heir hunted]

Apparently the Adminstrator of the Estate is the heir hunter, I have been advised I have to go through them.

[PallasAthena]

Ah, OK. Looks like that is what you will have to do then.

[atticus]

Hold on. Surely the Administrator has a duty to distribute the estate to those entitled. I am not sure on what basis the Administrator is entitled to charge for doing that.

I suggest that you contact the Administrator and make your claim.

[Heir hunted]

Thank you Pallasathena.

Thank you Atticus, that's what I thought, the problem I have is Heir Hunters don't seem to be regulated and make their own rules.

Once they have admin rights they rule the roost, with BV estates stating its out of their hands.

Who holds the remaining funds, I assumed that would be BV estates but it seem not!