Genealogy Forum UK

Does anybody else occasionally have a look at the unclaimed estate list?

http://www.bonavacantia.gov.uk/output/

I reckon if I was living in the UK this would be a very profitable hobby.

You would have to select estates under 30,000 and that have been around for a few years to have any hope of beating the professional firms.

I wish they would introduce similar Bona Vacantia laws in Australia.

My wife had two very rich spinster Great Aunts who croaked it in New South Wales and the only chance you get to claim is one or two advertisements in the newspapers

Is that like Heir hunters, I've watched them on you tube, what a great way to make a living...

They do this on Heir Hunters on the tele - really interesting. The government only use a couple of firms for this, based in London, and it is really cutthroat and fast. They have agents based all over the UK who work for them, so that they can quickly get to the local Register Office to prove a line and to visit possible relatives. Sometimes it is a race between companies who gets there first and signs up the first heir - and on occasions they have put in a lot of work and had to pay a lot of man hours, only to lose out to a rival company.

Also, they have sometimes gone to a lot of trouble finding heirs, only to find that there's not much money at the end of it. It seems like a real gamble, because the government don't tell you anymore the value of the estate.

I've seen the odd episode as well, on one the heirs didn't sign up with the company, but sorted it out on their own so they claimed the whole of the inheritance. I suppose if it was close to the deadline that'd be a bit risky!

The Governement don't hire the companies. Fraser and Fraser, the main mob on Heir Hunters, are just one of the companies that do it.

There are smaller companies who make quite a good living with the smaller cases.

Large companies like Fraser and Fraser won't touch anything under 30,000.

This week The Genealogist introduced an automatic search.

You tell it to find Fred Blog died 2005, Oldbury and it will find his birth, marriage, parents, children and any potential siblings.

You would still have to get the certificates to get some details but there is half an hour of work done for you already...

How would I get on, trying to claim the fortune of BHP in Broken Hill. Great Aunt in Australia my Great Grandads sister.whoooooooee.

Mike.

Have you seen the lady that inherited all of that?

I wouldn't mess with her!

Mark........Show me her ?

Mike.

Rob wrote:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=uNDbgGuzcJ0#t=9s

I like your sense of humour Rob!

Who's being funny?

Rob wrote::o Who's being funny?

A VERY GOOD POST ROB I LIKE IT.

mikleed wrote:A VERY GOOD POST ROB I LIKE IT.

What're you trying to say Mike?

Gina Rinehart



Actually she has a wonderfull smile until you push her the wrong way.



She and her family have nothing to do with BHP-Billiton anymore, but she is the richest lady in Australia and her mining empire is huge.

It is a private company, therfore she does not answer to anybody in terms of stock holders, board members etc.

That is an awfull lot of power.