Over 150 unclaimed estates in Wales identified by Danny Curran of Finders International
Wales has in excess of 150 unclaimed estates, according to Finders International’s interrogation of the latest Bona Vacantia (BV) list for Wales related estates. The BV lists all the estates of people who have died apparently intestate (no Will) and with no known next of kin.
Danny Curran, MD of Finders International said: “With our new office in Cardiff, Wales, we wanted to highlight to everyone in Wales that these estates are waiting to be claimed from the government, who are sitting on the fortunes of over six thousand estates across the England and Wales.”
More specifically in Gwent alone there are 14 estates of people who died in the area, with no will and no known next of kin. While South Glamorgan and Gwynedd both have 26 unclaimed estates each. This is followed by Clwyd with 17, Mid Glamorgan 16, West Glamorgan 9, Dyfed 7 and Powys 5.
As Finders International celebrates the opening of its first office in Cardiff, the probate genealogists are keen for people to check the Bona Vacantia list and see if they recognise any of the names on the list as potential Welsh relatives.
The list can also be searched for those who were born in Wales and died intestate (without a will) elsewhere, as well as those that died in Wales. In these cases there are often relatives still living in Wales who may be entitled to claim.
Finders International found a further 11 estates of people who were born in South Glamorgan but died in England; along with 10 born in either West Glamorgan or Gwynedd, four born in Powys, three in Mid Glamorgan; two in Clwyd and just one estate of a person that was born in Dyfed and died outside of Wales .
Stephen Anthony Price, 54, who died in Abergavenny Gwent on August 4, 2022 was added to list in October 2022.
Names on a list include Kevin Thomas Carr, 70, who died in Bangor Gwynedd in April in 2023 and was originally from Rhondda Cynon Taf South Wales; and Joseph Gee , 79, also died in Bangor Gwynedd in September 2022, both estates appeared on the BV list in November in 2023.
More recently in November 2023 Bridgend County Borough Council added the estate of James Laurence Williams, 72, who died in September 2023 James was bachelor who was born in Pencoed, Bridgend.
David John Evan’s estate appeared on the list in November this year, he died aged 74 in May in Colwyn Bay Clwyd, while Anthony Colin Hill , 79, who was born in Swansea also died there in September 2022.
The estate of John Philips, 73, also known as Jack, died in 2004 in Llantrisant Mid Glamorgan. He was born in Pontypridd Rhondda Cynon Taf and his estate still remains unclaimed almost 20 years after his death
When somebody dies intestate, their estate becomes a ‘vacant good’. Bona Vacantia is the name given to these ownerless estates that are then passed to the Crown. Family members and heirs have just 12 years to claim an estate once it has been reported unclaimed to the Crown.
To see the entire searchable list that is updated daily visit:
http://www.bonavacantialist.co.uk/
