It is possible that you have relatives that you are unaware of, or have lost touch with over the years, especially if you have a large family. To find out whether you could be entitled to an estate claimed by the Treasury, you need to search the Bona Vacantia, a publicly recorded list of ownerless goods.
Searches can only be performed for estates that have been unclaimed since 1 January 1997, as this is when they were computerised, and records are updated online every Wednesday at midnight. To perform a search for an unclaimed estate you will need the following information:
• Surname
• Date of death
• Place of death
• Date of entry to the Bona Vacantia
Search the list here http://www.iwc-
Without all of the above it is possible to search for unclaimed estates with just a surname and date of death, but due to the commonness of surnames and the fact that your family name may be different to the deceased, due to marriages over the years. Therefore; you may not be able to find the unclaimed estate, in some cases, without the help of a professional.
Who is entitled to make a claim to an unclaimed estate? You can make a claim to a lost estate if you are a blood relative to the deceased. This includes:
• Parents
• Spouses
• Children
• Brothers and sisters and their children
• Half brothers and sisters and their children
• Grandparents
• Aunts and Uncles, and
• Half Aunts and Uncles
Bringing in the professionals. Since Heir Hunters aired on BBC in 2007, many people have hired a probate genealogist to search for possible unclaimed estates. ICW Ltd specialises in unclaimed estates and can help you to discover whether you are a rightful heir to a long lost fortune.
http://www.iwc-
For more information on ICW Ltd's heir hunting services, from tracing a long lost relative to making a claim, please visit http://www.iwc-
