Could you be entitled to a share of a long-lost relative's estate?

When someone dies with no will or known family, their property passes to the Crown. It can be any kind of property, such as buildings, money or personal possessions.

If you are a relative, you could be entitled to a share of a deceased person's estate.

There are a number of estates relating to people who were either born or died in Bradford which are unclaimed, and the Government regularly updates its list with unclaimed estates.

Here's the estates that have been added in 2020 so far with Bradford connections:

If someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will the following are entitled to the estate in this order:

  • husband, wife or civil partner
  • children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on
  • mother or father
  • brothers or sisters who share both the same mother and father, or their children (nieces and nephews)
  • half brothers or sisters or their children (nieces and nephews of the half blood or their children)
  • uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins or their descendants)
  • half uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins of the half blood or their children).
  • If you are, for example, a first cousin of the deceased, you would only be entitled to share in the estate if there are no relatives above you in the order of entitlement, for example, a niece or nephew.

Claims will generally be accepted within 12 years from the date the administration of the estate was completed and interest will be paid on the money held.

However, fully-documented claims can be admitted up to 30 years from the date of death, subject to no interest being paid on the money held, if the claim is received after the 12 year period above has run out.