More than 100 estates are waiting to be inherited

A total of 102 estates linked to people who died in Leeds are currently unclaimed, according to the latest figures released by the Treasury Solicitor.

An estate can go unclaimed when a person dies without leaving an effective will and no family members come forward to claim it. In those circumstances, the property becomes ‘ownerless property’ and is taken into possession by the Crown.

Relatives who believe they are entitled to inherit can still come forward within a 12-year period from when the Crown possesses the estate.

There are more than 100 unclaimed estates linked to Leeds (stock image for illustrative purposes) | Bruce Rollinson

placeholder image — There are more than 100 unclaimed estates linked to Leeds (stock image for illustrative purposes) | Bruce Rollinson

For unclaimed estates before 1997, the Treasury will allow claims up to 30 years from the date of the person’s death, subject to no interest being paid on money held if the claim is received after the 12-year period has ended.

The Treasury says an unclaimed estate can include any form of property, such as buildings, money or personal possessions.

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102 Leeds-linked estates were listed as unclaimed in September 2026.

Who can inherit an unclaimed estate?

Who can inherit depends on intestacy rules, which apply when someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will. The strict order of entitlement is:

the deceased’s husband, wife or civil partner
the deceased’s children or their descendants
the deceased’s mother or father
the deceased’s brothers or sisters or their descendants (nieces and nephews)
the deceased’s half* brothers or sisters or their descendants (nieces and nephews of the half-blood)
the deceased’s grandparents
uncles and aunts or their descendants (first cousins)
the deceased’s half uncles and aunts or their descendants (first cousins of the half-blood) - half means they share only one parent or grandparent (for example, the same mother but a different father)

You would only be entitled to, or a share in, the estate if you are a direct descendent from one of the deceased’s grandparents and there are no relatives who survived the deceased above you in the order of entitlement.

A second cousin is related through the deceased’s great-grandparent(s) and is not entitled to, or share in, an intestate estate in the UK.

If an entitled relative survived the deceased but has since died, that relative’s personal representative can make the claim to the deceased person’s estate. If an entitled relative survived the deceased but has since died, that relative’s personal representative (the person legally entitled to deal with their estate) must make a claim to the deceased person’s estate.

A personal representative is defined as:

The person named on the grant of Probate or the executor named in the will, or
The person named on the grant of Letters of Administration or the person entitled to take one out

A grant of Probate or Letters of Administration can be checked using the probate search service.

Anyone unsure about whether they are entitled to claim an estate is advised to seek their own legal advice, or email a family tree showing how they are related to the deceased — including full names and dates of birth and death — to [email protected].