There are currently seven unclaimed estates in Basingstoke, according to data from the Treasury.
Unclaimed estates are typically left by individuals who have died without a will, or where potential beneficiaries cannot be traced.
In such circumstances, the estate becomes ownerless property and passes to the Crown.
The estates can be claimed within a 12-year period from the date they were taken into possession by the Crown. The Treasury will allow claims up to 30 years from the date of the person’s death for unclaimed estates dating before 1997, subject to no interest being paid on the money that is held – if the claim is received after the 12-year period has ended.
The government keeps an updated list of unclaimed estates on its website, which is frequently reviewed and can be searched by the public.
You could be entitled to a share of a deceased relative’s property – type in your name below to see if you are sitting on a fortune:
There is a specific order of entitlement for those who may be eligible to claim an unclaimed estate if a person dies without a valid will.
This begins with their spouse or civil partner, followed by children, grandchildren, and further direct descendants.
If none exist, parents, full siblings or their descendants, half-siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts or their descendants, and finally, half-uncles and aunts could be eligible.
In such cases, without family members coming forward or being traced, estates can remain unclaimed and eventually pass to the Crown.
The latest list of estates can be found on the Government’s website.