List of 170 unclaimed estates in Birmingham you could inherit if you have these surnames - how to claim

The Treasury have released their list of unclaimed estates in Birmingham as of March 1, 2023, with a total of 170 surnames listed. The estates have been left by someone who has died without a will in place and without any other family member claiming the estate.

An unclaimed estate does not necessarily have to be a property. It can be a sum of money, or something else left behind unclaimed by the person who has died.

The Treasury says that any claims will be accepted within 12 years in general from the date that the administration of the estate was completed and interest will be paid on any money held.

However, they can admit fully documented claims up to 30 years from the date of death, subject to no interest being paid on the money held, in cases where a claim is received after the 12 year period above has expired.

Who is eligible to claim? 

The Treasury provides information on who is eligible to claim any of the estates on the list. There must be at least some family links in order to make a claim.

• If someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will (intestate) the following are entitled to the estate in the order shown below:
• husband, wife or civil partner
• children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on
• mother or father
• brothers or sisters who share both the same mother and father, or their children (nieces and nephews)
• half brothers or sisters or their children (nieces and nephews of the half blood or their children). ‘Half ’ means they share only one parent with the deceased
• grandparents
• uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins or their descendants)
• half uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins of the half blood or their children). ‘Half’ means they only share one grandparent with the deceased, not both

If you are, for example, a first cousin of the deceased, you would only be entitled to share in the estate if there are no relatives above you in the order of entitlement, for example, a niece or nephew.

If your relationship with the deceased is traced through someone who survived the deceased and has since died, you will need to confirm who is entitled to deal with that person’s estate. The person entitled to deal with a deceased person’s estate is known as a “legal personal representative”.

Surnames of unclaimed estates in Birmingham

How to make a claim

If you wish to make a claim on an estate in the region, visit the government website for more information.