WHEN someone dies with no will or known family, their property passes to the Crown as ownerless property.

You could be entitled to a share of a deceased relative’s property if you’re a relative.

There are dozens of estates that once belonged to people who were either born or died in Berkshire which are now unclaimed.

The reason an estate may be left unclaimed may be because the person is a widow, single man, spinster, or a bachelor. Many in Berkshire are 'unknown'.

The Treasury has updated its list of unclaimed estates to include three new properties compared to November 2022.

The list of people who have left an unclaimed estate in Berkshire after their death is in the table below.

Claims will be accepted within, generally, 12 years from the date the administration of the estate was completed and interest will be paid on the money held.

Who is entitled to claim an estate?

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.