When someone passes away without leaving a will or any known heirs, their estate may remain unclaimed. In these cases, the estate is transferred to Bona Vacantia. There are currently more than 5,000 unclaimed estates across the UK. Every day, new estates are added to the government’s Bona Vacantia list to give potential heirs the opportunity to claim their inheritance. However, many estates remain unclaimed due to unaware heirs, lost family connections, or incomplete family records.
Bona Vacantia: Unclaimed estates
Bona Vacantia is a government regulated list of unclaimed estates. This allows individuals to search for deceased relatives or their surname to see whether they have any connection to the estates listed.
An individual’s estate must be claimed within 30 years of their death, otherwise the estate will pass to the Crown.
Why an inheritance may go unclaimed?
There are several reasons an inheritance may go unclaimed in the UK:
Lost or no valid will
When an individual passes away without a will (intestate), their estate is distributed according to the laws of intestacy. However, if no next of kin can be identified or located, the estate may become unclaimed.
To prevent this from happening, it is important to draft a valid will. A will ensures that your estate and assets are distributed according to your wishes, giving you control over who inherits your property, personal items, or finances. Creating a will not only provides peace of mind for those you leave behind but also removes uncertainty and helps avoid complications for your loved ones.
Common surnames
Common surnames appear frequently on the unclaimed estates list, making it more difficult to identify and trace individuals. Due to the popularity of these surnames across England and Wales, searches for some individuals can return in multiple results. As a result, this can complicate efforts to accurately identify the deceased or have higher incidences of unclaimed estates. The most common surnames are “Smith”, followed by “Jones” and “Williams.
Missing heirs
Heirs may be difficult to contact due to outdated records or living abroad. This can cause delays in claiming an inheritance as they are unaware of their entitlement.
Heir Hunters
Heir hunters, such as Blanchards, review the Bona Vacantia lists to identify and contact potential heirs of unclaimed estates. By tracing and locating relatives of the deceased, we can help to ensure that the estate is passed to the rightful beneficiaries rather than reverting to the Crown.
How can Blanchards assist?
Unclaimed estates can often be prevented by properly identifying and tracing next of kin. By doing so, individuals are able to receive the inheritance they may not have known existed from a relative or lost family connection. Our role is to ensure that rightful heirs are found and that they receive the entitlement due to them.
Final thoughts
In the UK, the Bona Vacantia list gives individuals the opportunity to discover whether they may be entitled to an inheritance. The growing number of unclaimed estates highlights the importance of proper estate planning to ensure assets reach their intended beneficiaries. For more, please read our other blogs.
