1 week Ago By Nicole Cherruault
A WOMAN has revealed how she inherited a fortune from a complete stranger after first thinking she had been scammed. Lorraine Gessel, 60, received a whopping £400,000 when an 85-year-old cabin crew member died with no next of kin or will. The lucky mum, who lives half-way across the world in Canada , said she couldn't believe she had inherited a fortune by a mystery benefactor.
But it was quickly established that Raymond Barry Howson from Altringham, Greater Manchester, had never married or had any children. Some of his valuable estate, a two-bedroom flat on St Margaret's Road in Twickenham, London, was passed to Lorraine when an agent revealed she was related the man. Finders International, an organisation which helps find missing beneficiaries, discovered Lorraine's late mother was Raymond's first cousin.
Read more on Money Lorraine's maternal grandfather, George Moores, was found to be siblings with Raymond's mum. In an interview with Manchester Evening News, the beneficiary recalled her disbelief when she was first approached. "It sounds like a fairy-tale," she said.
However, after receiving further details from the organisation she said it started to make sense and thanked Finders International for tracking her down. Most read in Money The mum said she hoped to spend the inheritance on a holiday and renovating her home. Lorraine was one of 47 beneficiaries across New Zealand, Canada, Australia and the UK.
Simonne Llewellyn, CEO of Finders International, said that while this event was unexpected, it's not "totally uncommon". The chief executive added this sort of thing occurs frequently with large extended families - especially when they are spread across the world. He added that had they not pinned Lorraine and the other beneficiaries down, the money would have wound up at the treasury.
There are currently in excess of 6,000 unclaimed estates in England and Wales, according to the company. IF someone in England or Wales dies without a will, their estate is given to their next kin in the following order: 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 Note that once the highest related relative has claimed, it negates claims made by lower down relatives. So if you are, for example, a first cousin, you would only be entitled a share in the estate if there are no relatives above you in this order. This comes as a woman revealed how was handed £17,00 by a stranger in 2021.
Could you be in line for a windfall? Danny Curran, Finders International, said: "Families lose touch for a multitude of reasons. "It happens frequently and situations like this are more common than one might expect. "It's terribly sad to think that a letter, received some 60 years earlier, could have reunited Eileen with her brother, but for the omission of a return address.
“However, without a will we have no idea what Eileen would have wanted to do with her money ." Danny added that had the team not found Kimmy, Eileen’s money would have gone to the Treasury. He said: "It is great to see that instead it has been given to her relatives and Kimmy has now been able to piece together further details on her family.
" Bona Vacantia is the name given to these "ownerless" estates that are then passed to the Crown. Family members and heirs have just 12 years to claim an estate once it has been reported unclaimed to the Crown. The list is published by the government and updated daily, it's made up of the estates of people who have died but do not have a will or any living relatives.
The only other criteria required to be on the list is that the estate has a minimum value of £500. How can you find out if you could be due an inheritance? You can search the list yourself and make a claim, but the process can be expensive and time-consuming. To see the entire searchable list that is updated daily visit: http://www.
bonavacantialist.co.uk/ You’ll have to build a family tree, listing birth, marriage and death dates, and pay for copies of certificates for each person between you and the deceased.
READ MORE SUN STORIES An heir hunter, like Finders International, does the legwork for you, for a fee. But bear in mind that you’re probably not the sole heir to an estate and around 95% of those listed are worth less than £1,000..
