Discussion
A friend of mine has been approached by a company called "Estate Research" about her potentially being a beneficiary of an estate.
The letter names her parents and the deceased. She knows her (now deceased) father had a child before he married her mother but it's one of those family things that cannot be discussed.
We have searched the bona vacantia list and can't find anything relevant.
is their anything negative about signing up with this company?
The letter names her parents and the deceased. She knows her (now deceased) father had a child before he married her mother but it's one of those family things that cannot be discussed.
We have searched the bona vacantia list and can't find anything relevant.
is their anything negative about signing up with this company?
Mercdriver said:
Their fees?
This is true.Can't find the person named on the BV list so where does she go from there?
the letter names a person who is not on the BV llist, names her parents and is sent to her address.
She doesn't know the name of her half brother or where he lived. She just knows her father had a child before marriage,
I guess you could always do your own research, but pros will have a head start and know where to look.
When this happened to me the fee was invoiced to the estate so the Executors paid it. Nothing up front.
Maybe approach another heir hunter company if you don't like smell of this one?
When this happened to me the fee was invoiced to the estate so the Executors paid it. Nothing up front.
Maybe approach another heir hunter company if you don't like smell of this one?
I got one of those types of letters. Thought that it was fake at first. Process took 4 years to go through the US courts because a neighbour of the deceased turned up with a will claiming the whole estate. The lawyers took 33% of the estate in fees on a no win no fee basis and 15 people inherited a bit less than 20k each. The reactions of some of the people who stood to inherit something from someone that they had never met were appalling. I could write a book about it.
TownIdiot said:
I suppose the point is it is free money and no effort if she doesn't pay upfront.
Is this them? https://www.estateresearch.co.uk/Some of their services are free, but where it doesn't say 'free' you can be sure of a fee, though I can't see a table of fees.
Simpo Two said:
Is this them?
Had to delete the link
Some of their services are free, but where it doesn't say 'free' you can be sure of a fee, though I can't see a table of fees.
Their fees are clearly stated in their agreement.Had to delete the link
Some of their services are free, but where it doesn't say 'free' you can be sure of a fee, though I can't see a table of fees.
I thought I might be easy to DIY but with the family circumstances it's too complicated
I think she will sign the agreement and see what happens
TownIdiot said:
Their fees are clearly stated in their agreement.
I thought I might be easy to DIY but with the family circumstances it's too complicated
I think she will sign the agreement and see what happens
I would approach other companies first and see if they'd like to be more competitive.... why take the first price?I thought I might be easy to DIY but with the family circumstances it's too complicated
I think she will sign the agreement and see what happens
NB I wonder why my link couldn't be quoted? Never seen that before.
Simpo Two said:
I would approach other companies first and see if they'd like to be more competitive.... why take the first price?
NB I wonder why my link couldn't be quoted? Never seen that before.
Yes I will suggest she looks for another quote,NB I wonder why my link couldn't be quoted? Never seen that before.
And I can't post a link as I am new user - think it said I had to wait 14 days.
TownIdiot said:
The letter names her parents and the deceased.
How does heir hunter stuff work?I am amazed that the heir hunters provided the name of the deceased as it helps you so much to track down the information yourself and avoid using their services?
In such cases there must be no executor so far and so someone would need to be appointed to administer the estate. Do the heir hunters take care of this?
If there are other claimants then an executor will eventually be appointed and all you would need to do is inform the executor of your status to be included in the settlement?
Actual said:
In such cases there must be no executor so far and so someone would need to be appointed to administer the estate. Do the heir hunters take care of this?
AKAIK heir hunters - there's a TV series of the same name which might be illuminating to the readers - get involved when the deceased didn't leave a Will. And so there's an Estate which has a value, but no-one to give it to. Hence the hunters pick up the case, track down beneficiaries, and take a slice for themselves. After all, had it not been for them, the beneficiaries would never have know they stood to inherit something.Actual said:
If there are other claimants then an executor will eventually be appointed and all you would need to do is inform the executor of your status to be included in the settlement?
In my case once the beneficiaries (certain living relatives) were found, one of them volunteered to be Executor. Claimants are all related to the deceased so as long as they can be traced they're all informed. No random person can turn up and say 'I knew Mrs Smith and she said she'd leave me £1,000'.https://www.channel4.com/programmes/heir-hunters
Actual said:
How does heir hunter stuff work?
I am amazed that the heir hunters provided the name of the deceased as it helps you so much to track down the information yourself and avoid using their services?
In such cases there must be no executor so far and so someone would need to be appointed to administer the estate. Do the heir hunters take care of this?
If there are other claimants then an executor will eventually be appointed and all you would need to do is inform the executor of your status to be included in the settlement?
I am really not sure.I am amazed that the heir hunters provided the name of the deceased as it helps you so much to track down the information yourself and avoid using their services?
In such cases there must be no executor so far and so someone would need to be appointed to administer the estate. Do the heir hunters take care of this?
If there are other claimants then an executor will eventually be appointed and all you would need to do is inform the executor of your status to be included in the settlement?
The deceased named doesn't appear on the BV list so we are none the wise after a search around.
She will contact the company and take it from there. She's away for a couple of weeks but I'll update when I know more.
Just by way of an update for anyone interested
Managed to track down the person who died - from the records available his mother's maiden name is the same as her father's family name but she has no idea who he could have been. (The person is a similar age to her father, I think 8 years younger)
He died intestate in 2021 leaving a pretty substantial estate.
Administration was granted so that explains why it's not on the BV list and we think we know the solicitor handling it.
The idea is to call them when she's back in the country next week and see what they say.
Nearly three years to make contact seems a rather long time to me.
Managed to track down the person who died - from the records available his mother's maiden name is the same as her father's family name but she has no idea who he could have been. (The person is a similar age to her father, I think 8 years younger)
He died intestate in 2021 leaving a pretty substantial estate.
Administration was granted so that explains why it's not on the BV list and we think we know the solicitor handling it.
The idea is to call them when she's back in the country next week and see what they say.
Nearly three years to make contact seems a rather long time to me.
My wife was contacted a few years completely out of the blue from one of these companies who similarly had highlighted her as potential to inherit from a deceased person. Of course we were cautious. They gave all the financial details up front including what they would receive from arranging all . My wife gave details to prove she was who they thought and then it was all dealt with by them really easily. It was not massive money, just over £1k as I recall but it was all legitimate.
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