Thousands of estates lie dormant across the UK, awaiting rightful heirs. Each year, more properties are seized by the Crown as deaths occur without a will or known family. According to the UK Government's latest update on July 28, over 5,000 estates in England and Wales remain unclaimed, held by the Treasury and encompassing houses, money, and personal possessions.
Merseyside's Unclaimed Estates
A recent government list identified 19 unclaimed estates belonging to people who died in Merseyside between 1998 and 2024. Using the UK House Price Index average house price of £271,295, the total value of unclaimed property in the region could reach £5,154,605.
How to Claim
If you believe you are a relative, you may be entitled to a share of a deceased relative's property. To make a claim, check if the estate is listed with the Crown, ensure you are an entitled relative, and submit a claim. If an estate is not listed, you can inform the Crown about it. The Government Legal Department handles ownerless property (bona vacantia) in England and Wales, except in the Duchies of Cornwall and Lancaster. The department advertises to find relatives; claimants must prove their relationship with documents such as birth, marriage, or death certificates.
Claims can be made if there is no will. The deceased's spouse or civil partner, followed by children, have first claim.
List of 19 Deceased Individuals in Merseyside with Unclaimed Estates
- Nigel Abbot, died December 28, 2022, Birkenhead
- Lilian Birch, died September 9, 2007, Wirral
- David Craig, died January 13, 2000, Birkenhead
- Robert Fallowfield, died July 25, 2011, Wallasey
- Frederick George Fisher, died March 3, 2024, Liverpool
- Joseph Flynn, died January 22, 2009, Birkenhead
- Edith Margaret Goulding, died February 2, 2009, Wallasey
- Stephen Dale Hoare, died May 14, 2003, Wirral
- Terrance Hughes, died September 9, 2023, Wirral
- Sandra Denise Jones, died December 7, 2019, Wallasey
- Francis Montego, died December 28, 2003, Wirral
- Frank James Morris, died November 7, 2003, Wirral
- Alice Audrey Owen, died October 21, 2012, Wirral
- Marguerite Pickles, died January 25, 2008, Wirral
- Eva Sylvia Barnes Price, died June 19, 1998, Birkenhead
- Sally Vandyke, died June 1, 1998, Wirral
- Steven Williams, died October 30, 2023, Wirral
- Bernard John Smith, died December 5, 2012, Wirral
- Mark Francis Wilson, died January 12, 2019, Birkenhead
