[Help] Finders International - genealogist specialising in tracing missing beneficiaries

[Eric the meek]

Update and thanks:

Thanks to all who replied - there were some very useful tips.

I have been in contact with a genealogist acquaintance I know and learned the following:

Finders International are considered 'one of the big boys' in the field, and they are reputable as far as he knows. Fees of around 30% + VAT are par for the course, but can be as high as 45% + VAT. Ouch.

The government operates a Bona Vacantia (unclaimed estates) list and there is nothing listed under my surname, or any other surname under which I might be a beneficiary.

I will email Finders International and proceed with caution.....

Thanks again to the hive mind of NSC.

 

[Anger]

If you have the chance of getting a Bona you certainly don’t want it to be vacantia.

Tell them you will only meet them at 1pm by The Clock Tower.

 

[the larks]

I worked on empty properties for years and occasionally used agents to trace owners of properties where the deceased died without a will. The main catch with these firms is they do all the work, but them take a hefty % of estates worth.

I had a friend who was contacted by a firm and we just did it all ourselves, getting the family tree and birth, death and marriage certificates. In the end the estate was worth £200.

Do mail me if you want more info how it all work

 

[Right Brain Ronnie]

Yes ! Funny you should mention that.....

Oh the suspense, do we get to know.

 

[jcdenton08]

They are likely genuine - although obviously use caution and common sense.

There used to be a really interesting reality TV show called “Heir Hunters” about this very subject. The way it works is unclaimed inheritances, those of someone who has died intestate, get put on a list by the government. After a certain amount of time passes, the government (HMRC) claim the money as their own.

So these companies act as private investigators and genealogists to try and track down living heirs to the inheritance. If you agree to work with them, they do all the paperwork and due diligence, then take a cut of the inheritance. Their commission was anywhere between 10-40%.

What’s interesting is that there are multiple companies doing this, and it’s a race against time to track down heirs. This can cause the variable in the commission rate (bidding off against each other)

Anyway, don’t get your hopes up about a windfall.

Nearly every request is for more information about your extended family, as publicly available genealogy sources only get these companies so far. As it’s a race against the clock, they usually reach out to every known relative for more information about the family and who would be the potential heir.

It’s entirely up to you whether to respond and engage given all the above information.

 

[Eric the meek]

Oh the suspense, do we get to know.

What goes on in a judge's house in Trinidad, stays in a judge's house in Trinidad.

Edit: Sorry, I don't mean to be cryptic, but it's just too long a story, the story isn't great, and many of the details are sketchy.

 

[Blue3]

What ever the outcome be it you are bequeathed a tidy sum or not it will be interesting to hear how it goes

 

[Eric the meek]

What ever the outcome be it you are bequeathed a tidy sum or not it will be interesting to hear how it goes

Provided it is not too embarrassing, I will come back on here and let you know.

But my money is on what @jcdenton08 was saying. It's most likely an investigation into someone else's estate, and they just want me and my sisters to verify or otherwise the family line or next of kin.