Seven unclaimed estates are currently registered in Winchester, according to figures from the Treasury.
The estates belong to individuals who died without a will or with no known heirs, meaning their assets have so far gone unclaimed.
In such cases, the estate becomes ownerless and passes to the Crown, but relatives can still come forward to make a claim.
Claims can be submitted within 12 years from the date the Crown takes possession of the estate.
For deaths that occurred before 1997, claims can be made up to 30 years from the date of death.
However, if the 12-year window has passed, any money paid will not accrue interest during the additional period.
A government-maintained list of unclaimed estates is available online and regularly updated.
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:
Eligibility follows a set order of entitlement, beginning with a spouse or civil partner.
In the absence of these, children, grandchildren, and direct descendants are next in line, followed by parents, full siblings or their descendants, half-siblings, grandparents, uncles and aunts or their descendants, and finally, half-uncles and aunts.
If no relatives can be traced or come forward, the estate ultimately remains with the Crown.
The latest list of estates can be found on the Government’s website.