Government data shows that hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of inheritance remains in limbo in Nottingham as a rightful heir has not been found. The latest Treasury list shows there are 65 unclaimed estates of people who died in Nottingham.
Classed as 'ownerless property', unclaimed estates arise when there is no will, or when the beneficiaries cannot be traced, and the next family member cannot be found. Overall, the figures show £77 million in unclaimed inheritance was recorded in 2021.
The Treasury only advertises estates with a net value of £500 or above. The surnames of deceased people in Nottingham where estates are unclaimed include: Tyers, Asafat, Beames, Bedford, Benner, Boyd, Brailsford, Brown, Clarke, Conroy, Cope, Czolij, Dalton, Darling, Duncan, Erumuse, Frederick, Gagg, Graywolf, Griffin, Gyongyosi, Harewood, Herbert, Hicking and Jenkins.
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If no relative can be found within 12 years, the dormant estate becomes the property of the Crown, though it is still possible to make a claim if you are legitimately entitled. Craig Ridge, the Head of Contentious Probate at leading law firm Higgs LLP, said: "If you know someone has died and you believe you might have been left something, then you can simply search the probate records, or set up an alert for yourself, so that you know who to contact when the estate is dealt with.
"Should you believe you are entitled to an estate, and there is a will, it’s sometimes as simple as writing to the executors of the will and they will do everything for you from that point. If the executors do not respond, there are other things you can do but you may need some advice on how to go about it."
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