Unclaimed Estates in Coventry

Unclaimed Estates in the UK can have a big impact on the lives of their entitled owners. There are currently three Unclaimed Estates originating from Coventry in the Midlands which have been left by three owners who have died in 2018.  

When a person dies in the UK without a know will or close family their belongings become intestate, the term used to describe a person who did not make a will before their death. When a person leaves an intestate behind them, their belongings - which can include money, personal possessions and buildings - pass over to the crown for safe keeping. This is known as Bona Vacantia, where the goods have no known owner.

The estate of the individual then becomes publicly listed on the Unclaimed Estates Register, or Bona Vacantia List. From here any person who believes they have a right to the estate can put forward evidence to support their claim.

As the estate comes without a will to direct the where the belongings should go, a spouse, civil partner and any children of the deceased have the right to make the first claim on an estate. If none of these people can be found or indeed never existed, anyone who descends from a grandparent of the estate owner is entitled to stake a claim.

Unclaimed Estated in Coventry

In 2018, three estates have been added to the Unclaimed Estates register with connections to the Coventry area. In some cases, this can be they were born or died in the area. In many cases with unclaimed estates, it can be both.

They include Brian W. Atkins who died in Binley in February this year. Brian was born in Coventry in 1939 and died just 5 days after his 79th Birthday.

Another Unclaimed Estate is Tertius Michael Parker, who died in Coventry in February. Tertius was born in Ireland and was 63 at the time of his death. The third unclaimed estate is owned by Peter John Miller who died in Warwickshire again in February. Originally born in Harrogate, Peter was 61 when he died.

In 2018, 235 people will leave behind an Unclaimed Estate in 2018 across both England and Wales. Usually, there is a 12-year allowance for claims to be made on an unclaimed estate, however, under certain circumstances, this can be extended to 30 years should that be necessary.

The value of an estate is not listed in the records.

This article was originally posted in the Coventry Telegraph.