"Heir Hunters"

[FraserandFraser]

51% sounds a lot I have never heard of a fee like that before.

fees are dependent on the case, where it comes from how hard it is to solve and how many other firms are involved.

We never talk about fees as it is a confidential matter between the heirs and the companies.

What you have to be very careful with is the big firms have a one off % charge then do all the work needed for that fee. Some of the smaller firms offer a very low fee 5% or lower and then get the heir to instruct their company or their solicitor who then builds up the charges to counter the very low %. The larger firms are a lot more efficient and usually can finish off the case a lot quicker that a small firm.

What we have found that by having Andrew my brother and a Chartered Building Surveyor and Charles a Solicitor we can usual ensure that any property is sold correctly getting the best value for money. (Andrew and Charles are not allowed to charge for their time when they are working for the estate)

You usually get what you pay for although our fees can seem a little high and a bit of a shock at times the service that is being offers we think is very good value for money.

I have said my bit and don't really want to get into a discussion about fee's. This is "the lighter side" isn't it.

Thanks

Neil


****NEWS FLASH****

There is a rumour that the first series of the show (15 programs from 7 Jun last year) will be repeated the weeks following this series.


There is also a plan under way to put out a 30min program @ 7.30 in the evening on Wednesday 16th Jul


****************************************
 

[Necromancer]

Good to see the 1911 census being exploited in yesterdays episode !


Still impresses me how quickly you get a list of siblings developed - seems that the Film Readers are faster than looking at the GRO pages online !

Loved the 'Ferrari' comment in that programme too   

[FraserandFraser]

Yes our film readers are quicker, old tec beats new!!


However the film we have are not the same as the ones in most places as we have indexed and re spliced them.

1911 census is going to be a very impressive resource when it is released. not sure if we exploited it just used it to prove alot of facts wrong!

That case had us all gripped the pictures by both William Roberts and Jacob Kramer are very impressive they both have works in the Tate and National portrait gallery. May be with a few people looking they could put on a joint display telling the whole story.

[Helen Aitchison]

I have been fascinated by the discussions, especially the one about searching by relying on a second name. 

My great grandmother's birth certificate remained elusive until I discovered her by doing a general search on her surname and I found her registered 4 months after she was born with no first names given!  She was just recorded as a girl.  Her father died shortly afterwards and I suspect he may have been ill which caused the delay in deciding on her names?  Or maybe she wasn't expected to live?  No way of finding out now.

Also for generations, and it still happens regularly, our family members have been known by the second given name or even a nick name only.  It has caused considerable extra work to find them.

Also my great grandmother for some reason (could it have been a then recent high court case against her husband at which she represented him as he was in S Africa?) gave her christian name in the census as Mary when in fact she was never  Mary but Annie Camilla.  I found her by putting in my grandfather's name of Amian for which there were only 2 records in the whole census (and the other was a girl) and luckily he was still living at home with some sisters too.

I have been lucky to introduce several second cousins of mine (and great uncles) to their first cousins.  Very satisfying result of extensive research and much appreciated by relatives who thought they were the last of their generation. 

My husband suggested I should look for employment as an Heir Hunter and it was this that lead to my reading and registering for this site.  Can anyone tell me what is required to be an Heir Hunter for an established firm please?

Helen

[DMCD]

On the programme when they say "The latest list has just been released by the Government" where is this list published? are there any links to it? or is it just a matter of serching through the Bona Vacantia search tool

Cheers Dave

[Aulus]

I remember getting a letter several years ago from a company in London asking me to contact them.  I also thought it was a scam and binned it.  Argghhhh!!! 

Mo

These days that must be a common reaction.  And you raise an interesting point.

We know Fraser & Fraser are a legitimate, reputable company.

But if you got a letter from Steptoe, Walker and Trotter Ltd, purporting to be probate researchers, how would you know to believe it or not?

[FraserandFraser]

some simple rules to follow

1. The first contact will not under normal circumstances come vir email, there is no central database so it is next to imposable to trace.

2. The company should have a web page, listing there phone, and address

3. The phone number should be in the phone book

4. The address should not be a po. box

5. although there are foreign companies that work in the UK most don't so be careful if you are approached by an overseas company, I don't know any African firms.

6. if the Value sounds very large, Millions of pounds it is probably a scam.

7. Even if you have been approached by some one claiming to work for a genuine firm make sure the phone number and email address is the same as the one on there web page and in the phone book.

8. check out there registers, Data protection, companies house (Fraser & Fraser is a partnership so is not registered there),FSA, ISO.

9 do a simple google search and see it they come up any ware that they shouldn't, but make sure they do come up.

10 ask your solicitor.

11 finally as a last resort ask one of the other firms if they have heard of them, we all know each other.

[Necromancer]

On the programme when they say "The latest list has just been released by the Government" where is this list published? are there any links to it? or is it just a matter of serching through the Bona Vacantia search tool

Cheers Dave

[trish251]

5. although there are foreign companies that work in the UK most don't so be careful if you are approached by an overseas company, I don't know any African firms.

Most of us have heard from one or more of these folks

Thank you all for such an interesting thread - I do wish we could watch the show down under.


Trish