General Chat

Hi Karen, That's exactly how I felt. It worked out that she was my father's cousin whom he never knew. My father had already died so his share was left to his children. It was sad to think that she died not knowing any of us existed including my father or my uncles.

Hi Christine, thanks,you're just never sure.About 7 years ago we were contacted by a solisitor in Northern Ireland regarding a relitive that we never knew exsisted.He had died without making a will and they were trying to trace all his family.It ended up that he was my father in laws grandfathers half brother and we ended up with £4000. It just seemed very sad to me that he didn't know any of the family and yet we all had his money,one lady had £175,000. Although we had a lovely trip to a posh hotel in Paris and i got my first dishwasher(so i often thank him for that). Karen

Hi Karen, We had one too a number of years ago. Well actually I got a phone call first asking questions about me then the letter from England. My friend said to call the police, my brother said to phone them back again. It was all on the level but very hard to believe. As a second generation New Zealander I was being told that someone in England had died and they we writing to inform that there was a sum of unclaimed money that they believed I and other family members had a share in. If I signed the form they would receive 1/3 of the value of the estate with no risk to me. We all signed our forms and waited. This was my introduction to genealogy and to my paternal grandmother's side of the family. My share ended up being 1/120th of the estate and in monetry terms not very much but once we signed the forms we were advised who this person was so I got a head start with names and dates for that side of my tree. Good luck, Christine

Val, thanks for the advice, Karen

my husband was sent a letter about a month ago from a woman claiming to be a probate genealogist,tracing beneficiaries of intestacy cases. she said that she was looking for relatives of my late mother in law,she enclosed an agreement form for us to sign stating that should we receive any money we agree to pay her one quarter plus VAT. Hubbies borthers and sisters have signed and sent their forms back but we are wary in case this is a con. What do you think. Karen