Danny Curran, managing director of Finders International, has featured in the Daily Mail’s This is Money today alongside beneficiary Amy Fabris who inherited £7,000 from her estranged father’s estate.
Amy Fabris, a dental nurse from Bournemouth had not known her father after he left before she was born. Amy only learned of his death when Finders International contacted her on behalf of Brent council. Her father, Giampietro Fabris, had died intestate, meaning without a will, in Wembley in London. Despite not knowing him, Giampietro was listed as Amy’s father on her birth certificate meaning she had a claim to his estate.
Amy said: “It was a total surprise. Although he never contributed to the family when I was growing up, this windfall can provide a small comfort.
“I hope to take my mother on a holiday cruise in the future.”
Always check for credentials
Speaking to This is Money, Danny explained the procedure you should follow when being contacted by a probate genealogist, or heir hunter, as they are more commonly known as thanks to the BBC’s popular daytime programme ‘Heir Hunters’ that Finders are a main firm on.
“It is natural to be wary,” Danny said in the article, “you should ask to see identity documents and call their company to confirm details if you feel nervous.
“You do not have to sign anything immediately. Check to see if they are a member of the trade body, the International Association of Professional Probate Researchers (IAPPR) which has a code of practice plus a mediation service to handle any complaints.”
300,000 people die without a will every year leaving thousands of pounds left unclaimed. Finders International use the Bona Vacantia list that is also published on the Unclaimed Estates website, so families can be given their rightful inheritance. Without next of kin, the estate legally passes to the Crown.
You may get a knock on the door
In the article, Danny gave an example of the work Finders International do on a daily basis by unravelling a long and handwritten family tree. This particular case started with a death certificate of the deceased and from there the team were able to track down the family. This work can be hit and miss with hundreds of birth, marriage and death records being ordered every day and Finders also send out employers to potential beneficiaries’ addresses to confirm their identity.
Danny said, “We like to tell people in person if we believe they could be a beneficiary.”
While you can try to put your family tree together yourself, it is often time-consuming and costly with professional genealogists such as Finders International having the experience and knowledge to take this off your hands.
You can read the full article here.
This article was also featured in the Mirror.
You can see Finders International’s full list of accreditations and credentials here.