Could You Be Entitled To One Of 58 Unclaimed Estates In Brighton And Hove?
A genealogy company has revealed that 58 unclaimed estates in Brighton and Hove may have unknown beneficiaries waiting to claim their inheritance.
Hidden Inheritances Waiting To Be Claimed
Residents of Brighton and Hove could be sitting on unexpected windfalls without even knowing it. A genealogy company has revealed that there are 58 unclaimed estates across our city, which unsuspecting local people may be entitled to inherit.
According to Finders International, the UK's largest professional probate genealogy company, these unclaimed estates form part of a much larger picture across Sussex, where 218 estates remain unclaimed. This represents around 4% of all unclaimed estates across the entire UK.
An unclaimed estate refers to an estate where a person has died without leaving a will and no known next of kin can be traced. In such cases, the money doesn't simply disappear — it's held by the government until rightful heirs come forward.
The Government's Bona Vacantia List
The UK government maintains a list called the Bona Vacantia, meaning "ownerless goods," which records all unclaimed estates across England and Wales. This list is updated daily and currently contains over 5,500 unclaimed estates. The list was reinstated in January 2026 after being temporarily suspended in 2025 to allow for fraud protection measures to be implemented.
In Brighton and Hove specifically, the estates of 17 women and 41 men are currently listed on the Bona Vacantia register.
A Significant Amount Waiting For Rightful Owners
Estates become officially classified as ownerless after 12 years of not being claimed by a relative. However, there's a minimum threshold for inclusion on the list — estates must have a value of at least £500 to be recorded.
With this in mind, there is a staggering amount of money waiting to be claimed. Simmone Llewellyn, CEO of Finders International, explained: "Being a beneficiary to an estate of someone you didn't know, or barely knew of, is more common than people expect. Everyday we trace hundreds of heirs all around the world to unexpected windfalls they have never expected."
With a minimum value of £500 per estate, the unclaimed estates in Brighton and Hove represent at least £3 million in total.
How To Check If You Might Be An Heir
Ms Llewellyn added: "It's worth seeing if you are related to someone on the list." Finders International works closely with people in the public sector as well as lawyers to trace missing heirs across the world, ensuring that all entitled beneficiaries receive what they're rightfully due.
The government publishes the surnames of people whose estates remain unclaimed, making it possible for members of the public to check whether they might be related to someone on the register. If you recognise any surnames that match your family name, it could be worth investigating further.
Source: Could you be entitled to one of 58 unclaimed estates in Brighton and Hove?