Is it possible to reclaim lost shares?

cyberla1190

Hello all

I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask (so feel free to remove Mods) but I need some help with reclaiming some British Airways shares. I have been a small time investor for a while now and my elderly mother recently mentioned she bought 100 BA shares in the 1990's. She essentially bought them and then never gave them second thought. She was a manager for the company and said that she bought them on impulse.

She unfortunately lost the original certificate and was never paid any dividends. After buying the stocks she essentially forgot about them and only remembered recently due to a conversation we had, but she  assumes they are now gone forever. Is there anyway she can reclaim the shares and any dividends she is entitled too? 

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I apologise for any lack of knowledge present in this post.

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Thanks

p00hsticks

If she bought them in her own name then she'll be on the register of shareholders.

The registrar is Computershare, and I suggest that the starting point would be to write to them giving as many details as she can remember (e.g. when bought, how many, her address at the time etc).

Their Contact details are here

https://www.iairgroup.com/en/site-services/contact-us

I think she'd need to pay for a replacement share certificate in order to sell them.

Thrugelmir

Does your mother hold a share certificate for IAG ?  As hasn't been listed on the stock exchanges as British Airways for some years. 

jimjames

Has she moved house since she bought them? She should have received quite a chunk of paperwork over the years if they were in her name. If she hasn't it might suggest that she'd disposed of them at some point

cyberla1190

jimjames said:

Has she moved house since she bought them? She should have received quite a chunk of paperwork over the years if they were in her name. If she hasn't it might suggest that she'd disposed of them at some point

Thank you for your reply. She has moved house about 5 times since the 1991. 

cyberla1190

Thrugelmir said:

Does your mother hold a share certificate for IAG ?  As hasn't been listed on the stock exchanges as British Airways for some years. 

She says it was in 1991? Would orginal BA shares have been 'transferred' to IAG?

cyberla1190

I'm going to write to Computershare but I'm not very hopeful as she can't remember many details. I personally think she's done her money, but I said I would try nonetheless. 

Thrugelmir

cyberla1190 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Does your mother hold a share certificate for IAG ?  As hasn't been listed on the stock exchanges as British Airways for some years. 

She says it was in 1991? Would orginal BA shares have been 'transferred' to IAG?

Yes. A new certificate would have been issued. 

cyberla1190

Thrugelmir said:

cyberla1190 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Does your mother hold a share certificate for IAG ?  As hasn't been listed on the stock exchanges as British Airways for some years. 

She says it was in 1991? Would orginal BA shares have been 'transferred' to IAG?

Yes. A new certificate would have been issued. 

Would she now be entitled to any dividends she has missed out on? Is it possible any new IGA certificate could have been stolen and sold?

p00hsticks

cyberla1190 said:

Thrugelmir said:

cyberla1190 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Does your mother hold a share certificate for IAG ?  As hasn't been listed on the stock exchanges as British Airways for some years. 

She says it was in 1991? Would orginal BA shares have been 'transferred' to IAG?

Yes. A new certificate would have been issued. 

 Is it possible any new IGA certificate could have been stolen and sold?

Unlikely I would think - there are better things to steal and easier things to sell than share certificates - apart from anything else, it would require identity fraud.

Thrugelmir

cyberla1190 said:

Thrugelmir said:

cyberla1190 said:

Thrugelmir said:

Does your mother hold a share certificate for IAG ?  As hasn't been listed on the stock exchanges as British Airways for some years. 

She says it was in 1991? Would orginal BA shares have been 'transferred' to IAG?

Yes. A new certificate would have been issued. 

Would she now be entitled to any dividends she has missed out on? Is it possible any new IGA certificate could have been stolen and sold?

I assume firstly that the shares were sold some years ago. People have a habit of forgetting as the years pass. 30 years is along time to start wondering why dividend cheques have never been received....... Why now?