Landlord has died with no NoK

Shelldean

RHemmings said:

Shelldean said:

RHemmings said:

daveyjp said:

The property and assets will go on the bona vacantia list. Any next of kin has 12 years to claim the assets, but in the meantime it appears the council have taken responsibility.

I was surprised to read that no relative can be found. Everyone has relatives, however distant. I would have thought a search through births, deaths, and marriages records would have found living relatives. I'm not saying that a relative should have been found in this case after due diligence. I'm just wondering why one wasn't. I'm guessing that there is a limit as to how far they search, and wonder what this limit is. 

There are certain limits to how far  the relation is to the deceased, those too far related can't claim

Thanks. I wasn't aware of this. I went through a checklist online answering 'no' to every single question until the property went to The Crown. 

Intestacy - who inherits if someone dies without a will?:Information based on your answers

The whole estate goes to the Crown.

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Where was the deceased domiciled?

England and Wales

Change Where was the deceased domiciled?

Is there a living husband, wife or civil partner?

No

Change Is there a living husband, wife or civil partner?

Are there any living children or any other living descendants (such as grandchildren or great-grandchildren)?

No

Change Are there any living children or any other living descendants (such as grandchildren or great-grandchildren)?

Are there any living parents?

No

Change Are there any living parents?

Are there any living brothers or sisters, or any living descendants of deceased brothers or sisters (such as nephews or nieces)?

No

Change Are there any living brothers or sisters, or any living descendants of deceased brothers or sisters (such as nephews or nieces)?

Are there any living half-brothers or half-sisters, or any living descendants of deceased half-brothers or half-sisters (such as half-nephews or half-nieces)?

No

Change Are there any living half-brothers or half-sisters, or any living descendants of deceased half-brothers or half-sisters (such as half-nephews or half-nieces)?

Are there any living grandparents?

No

Change Are there any living grandparents?

Are there any living aunts or uncles, or any living descendants of deceased aunts or uncles (such as cousins)?

No

Change Are there any living aunts or uncles, or any living descendants of deceased aunts or uncles (such as cousins)?

Are there any living half-aunts or half-uncles, or living descendants of deceased half-aunts or half-uncles (such as half-cousins)?

No

Even after being told there were limits, I thought it would go further than that. Now I can see that it could be quite easy for a property to go to The Crown even if family records exist.

Yes it's not many at all.
I seem to recall it being four or five relationship jumps.

So LL with no children, siblings, neices or nephews, the first jump would be back to their parents. Second jump either to parents siblings or to their grandparents. The "jumps" are soon used up and the crown claims 

kkkklinky

She owned just my flat, the other flats and a business premises are all owned by different people. Probably why the property has been fully paid, it's worth about £25,000, its closer to a bedsit than a flat it's very tiny.

My landlord was Jewish might explain why they can't find relatives, many of them were murdered during WW2 and lots of people used alternate IDs to escape capture so there could be relatives that would be impossible to trace. Definitely starting to feel uncomfortable about the whole situation. 

user1977

kkkklinky said:

She owned just my flat, the other flats and a business premises are all owned by different people.

Ok, in which case even if there isn't a regular service charge there will at least be ad hoc costs associated with anything needing done to the building.

Flugelhorn

kkkklinky said:

She owned just my flat, the other flats and a business premises are all owned by different people. Probably why the property has been fully paid, it's worth about £25,000, its closer to a bedsit than a flat it's very tiny.

My landlord was Jewish might explain why they can't find relatives, many of them were murdered during WW2 and lots of people used alternate IDs to escape capture so there could be relatives that would be impossible to trace. Definitely starting to feel uncomfortable about the whole situation. 

I don't think you have any reason to feel uncomfortable about this - it is definitely positive that the council are taking over

Sea_Shell

But until all this is sorted out, the OP doesn't know who their LL is.

What if something major breaks or needs repairing, that the OP can't afford to get done, even if they use the "put aside" rent money.  


Who ya gonna call?