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Could you inherit a fortune? The unclaimed estates in Sussex have been released by the Treasury in March and one could be yours. When a person dies without leaving a will and there appear to be no family members, the estate passes to the Treasury as ownerless property, or ‘Bona Vacantia’. An estate can be anything from property to personal possessions and money.
In general, estates held on the Bona Vacantia list can be claimed within a 12-year deadline, from the date the estate was taken into possession of the Crown. You could inherit a fortune as these estates remain unclaimed in Sussex (Image: Getty) You could be entitled to a share of a deceased relative’s property if you are related. There are a lot of estates left unclaimed by people who were either born or died in Sussex.
Type in your name below to see if you could be entitled to a fortune: The list for East Sussex: The list for West Sussex: The list of unclaimed estates is updated and published daily on the Government’s website. It’s important to note that this information is available to the public. When it comes to 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 the money that is held - if the claim is received after the 12-year period has ended.
Who can claim an unclaimed estate? If someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will, 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 Recommended reading: The Sussex postcodes that scooped prizes in the Postcode Lottery in February Full list of all the Sussex Premium Bonds winners for March 2025 - did you win? 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.
To find out how you can claim an estate, you can find advice on the UK Government website. The list on the website is updated every working day and newly advertised estates appear at the top of the list..
