Unclaimed Estates in Bristol
Two Unclaimed Estates in Bristol
Two unassociated men from the Bristol area have recently died on the same day. Both have left behind Unclaimed Estates which could be worth a life-changing sum of money to an unknowing relative. Mr Leach and Mr Morris both passed away in January earlier this year.
Clifford Samuel Leach, just four days shy of his 81st birthday, died in Shirehampton a small area on the River Avon. Born in Poland, Mr Leach had no known spouse, family or will at the time of his death.
Kenneth Morris, aged 90, died in Weston-super-Mare also without leaving a known will and having no known family. Born in Bristol, he was a widower having been married to Barbara Morris.
With no known probate documents or direct relatives traceable, their estates - including money, property, and personal possessions - were passed to the Crown as unowned property or 'bona vacantia'. These are kept by the treasury until a rightful heir can be found. While there is generally a time limit of 12 years to claim an estate, this can be extended to 30 years if circumstances warrant this.
The estates of Mr Leach and Mr Morris's have now become publicly listed by the Government Legal Department to give entitled relatives a chance to stake a rightful claim on the unclaimed inheritance.
When a person dies in the UK without leaving a will their spouse or civil partner are first able to claim on the estate followed by any children of the individual. If none of these exists or can be located, anyone descended from a grandparent of the deceased is entitled to a share.
Also on the Bona Vacantia list from the Bristol area is Geoffrey Gerald Pearce. At the age of 79, Geoffrey died on April 14th in Bath. He also leaves behind an unclaimed estate due to no known spouse or relatives existing.
Are You An Entitled Relative?
If you believe you could be the entitled relative of Clifford, Kenneth, Geoffrey or any other unclaimed estates on the Bona Vacantia List contact a member of our team.
This article was originally listed on Bristol Live by David Ottewell and Krishan Davis