Anglia Research Services - Intestate Wills

blueflyingtonight

We have been approached by a company called Anglia Research who tell us that we are likely beneficiaries from an intestate will. They will organise things for a whopping commission. Does anyone know how this can be investigated without handing over about a third of any legacy we are entitled to?

Thanks

jimmo

Have you ever seen “Heirhunters” on BBC1? No guarantees, but I do feel that they have been featured on the programme.
Basically each week the Government publishes a list of people who have died without leaving a will and the value of their estate. If nobody claims, the money goes to the Treasury. Then the various Heirhunters firms go to work researching the deceased’s family tree to try to find people who are entitled to claim the whole or a share of the deceased‘s estate.
In order to put in a successful claim I‘m pretty sure they have to prove exactly who is entitled to the whole estate so they do have their work cut out.
If Anglia Research are who I think they are you have nothing to lose by going along with them.
Television programmes being what they are, they only feature the best results but from what I have watched your situation is probably that you have no idea who the person who died is and so have no chance of establishing your claim against the estate of your long lost relative.
If you appear to be entitled to a huge amount of money there will almost certainly be other Heirhunters firms not far behind Anglia Research and you will probably be contacted by them fairly shortly.
They might offer a better percentage.
The theme of the BBC1 programme was that the Heirhunters do all the work and they expect a percentage of your inheritance for their efforts.
Don’t get your hopes up too high but if they are doing all the work and want to charge say 40% you will still end up with 60% of something. Without them you will end up with 100% of nothing.
Give them a whirl. You could get a nice bit of free money and be put in contact with other distant relatives who share your luck.
But, if they want money from you in advance you should reply with a 2 word answer and the second word should be “off”.

gilberts-mum_2

blueflyingtonight wrote: »

We have been approached by a company called Anglia Research who tell us that we are likely beneficiaries from an intestate will. They will organise things for a whopping commission. Does anyone know how this can be investigated without handing over about a third of any legacy we are entitled to?

Thanks

I have just received a letter from Anglia Research. Did you follow yours up from 2008 and what has happened, please? Have they asked for any money at any stage? They are only asking me for 15% + vat. Have you finalised anything - how do they pay the money over?

Thanks, Vera

invicta567

I have also been contacted by Anglia Research giving me information regarding my maternal grandmother (who died when my late mother was only 14) and asking me to agree to them pursuing a claim on my behalf. It is highly unlikely that there would be any unclaimed monies as my grandmother had 10 children (my mother being one of them) and I have nearly 50 first cousins and a lot more second cousins. Does anyone think it is worth pursuing this, other than for curiosity as Anglia Research will claim 25% of any amounts due to me? Of course my two siblings and other cousins would probably be entitled to a share of whatever has come to light. It is just very odd that they contacted me and not my brother or sister as they still have the same surname as the one mentioned in the letter and I don't.

sarahg1969

Of course it's worth pursuing. If you don't, you may get nothing at all. If you do, they take a cut for the hard work they've put in. If you do get in touch, they will ask about your siblings. Maybe you're the only one they've been able to track down?

tiff

What do you do to get the money without paying a company? Who would you conact to enquire about a distant relatives estate?

wildbiker

If you get contacted by an Heir Hunter company about a relation who has died Intestate please please look at the Bona Vacantia website.They are the Government Treasurers who hold the deceaseds money.They are very helpful & it is straightforward applying as a rightful Heir without incurring exorbitant Heir Hunter Fees.Heir Hunter companies do have a role, I suppose, as in most cases you are not even aware that you may be entitled to a share in an Estate.However they hurt their case by asking you to sign up with them & agree to pay them a large flat fee (up to 40% of a successful claim)without itemising the work involved.

wildbiker

If you get contacted by an Heir Hunter company about a relation who has died Intestate please please look at the Bona Vacantia website.They are the Government Treasurers who hold the deceaseds money.They are very helpful & it is straightforward applying as a rightful Heir without incurring exorbitant Heir Hunter Fees.Heir Hunter companies do have a role, I suppose, as in most cases you are not even aware that you may be entitled to a share in an Estate.However they hurt their case by asking you to sign up with them & agree to pay them a large flat fee (up to 40% of a successful claim)without itemising the work involved.

AdKM

I received a letter this morning from Anglia Research. After reading this forum I looked at the Bona Vacantia website and contacted the Treasury Solicitor's Office - They gave me the contact details of the Solicitor's dealing with the deceased's estate.

I contacted the solicitor and they have asked me to send all the certificates that link me with the deceased to prove my claim.

Afterwards I realised that the address of Anglia Research and the solicitor were quite similar. And then after cross referencing the name of solicitor I spoke to at Wolsey Probate with Anglia Research's website - I realised that the solicitor in charge of probate works for Anglia Research.

Now What?!

Anglia Research know I am related otherwise they wouldn't have contacted me. Now I have been asked to provide all certificates proving the link.

Crisp2010

I received a letter from these people and have checked on Bona Vacantia but the name of my 'relative' isn't on there. Is there an simple explanation why the name isn't there, is there another list - or should I be suspicious?

System

Isn't Intestate Wills a contradiction in terms?