Vagueness and the Aftermath - A sporadic diary

[Geo the Sarge]

There is a TV programme (It's on now) called Heir Hunters, where rival companies search out the heirs to unclaimed estates. (If the estates remain unclaimed, they go to the treasury)

I understand that the "Heir Hunter" teams get a % of the estate as a finders fee, but I can't figure out how this is agreed upon.

I mean, what if the new found heir says, "No, I'd like to keep all the money thank you"?

I would imagine the heirs have to sign a contract agreeing to the finders fee before the company reveal any information.  I've seen the programme once, a fair while ago, but seem to recall that in one of the cases one of the chaps they were talking to decided to pursue his claim through a rival company, so one can only assume our 'heir hunters' were undercut

I suppose... But I'm surprised that some people don't decide to approach the treasury themselves once they learn that there is an inheritance pending.

Some of them do Tom, however not everyone realises that you can and therefore think the way to get the money is through the Heir hunters.

I watch this all the time.

A recent one had been going on for years as a millionairess had tried to get rid of all her links to her true identity as a commoner to keep her past hidden from the high society circles she was part off.

Heir Hunters were finding it hard to trace her beginnings but managed a link through an old photo and some old car document. Was a great episode.

Geo

[RED-DOG]

There is a TV programme (It's on now) called Heir Hunters, where rival companies search out the heirs to unclaimed estates. (If the estates remain unclaimed, they go to the treasury)

I understand that the "Heir Hunter" teams get a % of the estate as a finders fee, but I can't figure out how this is agreed upon.

I mean, what if the new found heir says, "No, I'd like to keep all the money thank you"?

I would imagine the heirs have to sign a contract agreeing to the finders fee before the company reveal any information.  I've seen the programme once, a fair while ago, but seem to recall that in one of the cases one of the chaps they were talking to decided to pursue his claim through a rival company, so one can only assume our 'heir hunters' were undercut

I suppose... But I'm surprised that some people don't decide to approach the treasury themselves once they learn that there is an inheritance pending.

I don't imagine it's as straightforward as that.  the relationships are often tenuous, with the heirs usually not even knowing about the existence of the relative that has died.  I don't imagine one would get very far with the treasury by rocking up saying - 'i believe someone (whose name and relationship to me I don't know) has died and i'm entitled to some cash'.  I suppose once the heir hunters show up at the door you could choose to research the information and try to work it out for yourself, but most people, I would have thought, would rather pay the admin fee to have all the relevant information quickly available.  I wonder how much they charge?

That makes perfect sense, I'm sure you're right Claire.

I heard on a recent episode that the fee is around the 25% mark, but can be as high as 40%.

[RED-DOG]

OK, I have do do some work now.

I'm working online today. I need to concentrate, so I would appreciate it of no one posted anything interesting or distracting for a while.

[Claw75]

There is a TV programme (It's on now) called Heir Hunters, where rival companies search out the heirs to unclaimed estates. (If the estates remain unclaimed, they go to the treasury)

I understand that the "Heir Hunter" teams get a % of the estate as a finders fee, but I can't figure out how this is agreed upon.

I mean, what if the new found heir says, "No, I'd like to keep all the money thank you"?

I would imagine the heirs have to sign a contract agreeing to the finders fee before the company reveal any information.  I've seen the programme once, a fair while ago, but seem to recall that in one of the cases one of the chaps they were talking to decided to pursue his claim through a rival company, so one can only assume our 'heir hunters' were undercut

I suppose... But I'm surprised that some people don't decide to approach the treasury themselves once they learn that there is an inheritance pending.

I don't imagine it's as straightforward as that.  the relationships are often tenuous, with the heirs usually not even knowing about the existence of the relative that has died.  I don't imagine one would get very far with the treasury by rocking up saying - 'i believe someone (whose name and relationship to me I don't know) has died and i'm entitled to some cash'.  I suppose once the heir hunters show up at the door you could choose to research the information and try to work it out for yourself, but most people, I would have thought, would rather pay the admin fee to have all the relevant information quickly available.  I wonder how much they charge?

That makes perfect sense, I'm sure you're right Claire.

I heard on a recent episode that the fee is around the 25% mark, but can be as high as 40%.

25% seems pretty reasonable, and I'd be happy to pay it I think.  If it wasn't for these bods turning up at the door I'd have unlikely ever known about the inheritance anyway, so it's all a bonus.

[tikay]

OK, I have do do some work now.

I'm working online today. I need to concentrate, so I would appreciate it of no one posted anything interesting or distracting for a while.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_signalling

[RED-DOG]

OK, I have do do some work now.

I'm working online today. I need to concentrate, so I would appreciate it of no one posted anything interesting or distracting for a while.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_signalling

Laaa laaaa laaaa laaaa

[RED-DOG]

You should see Berlin's main railway station btw. I have some pics somewhere.

And... have you ever ridden in the caboose of a slow train on a single track? It's amazing. I have some pics somewhere...

[tikay]

OK, I have do do some work now.

I'm working online today. I need to concentrate, so I would appreciate it of no one posted anything interesting or distracting for a while.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Railway_signalling

Laaa laaaa laaaa laaaa

You are reading it though. The section on the "Block Signalling" methodology explains so much, I think you'd agree.

MereNovice is a bit of a geek expert on railway matters, to. He writes the software for railway timetables & stuff. How much fun must that be?

[RED-DOG]

Now, where was I?

Oh yes... WORK!

[tikay]

You should see Berlin's main railway station btw. I have some pics somewhere.

And... have you ever ridden in the caboose of a slow train on a single track? It's amazing. I have some pics somewhere...

Ooh, get you! That's not a word that's used often these days. Nice one.

[RED-DOG]

You should see Berlin's main railway station btw. I have some pics somewhere.

And... have you ever ridden in the caboose of a slow train on a single track? It's amazing. I have some pics somewhere...

Ooh, get you! That's not a word that's used often these days. Nice one.

It is use it to refer to women's arses when I'm pretending to be a cowboy.

[tikay]

Moving on from the delightful use of "caboose", recent articles about the mackerel fishing quotas dispute that has caused so much unrest among the Scottish fishing community repeatedly used the word "pelagic", which I'd never once seen or heard before.

I'm curious as to the origin of that word. What's the betting that Tighty & AndrewT will know?

[RED-DOG]

There is a TV programme (It's on now) called Heir Hunters, where rival companies search out the heirs to unclaimed estates. (If the estates remain unclaimed, they go to the treasury)

I understand that the "Heir Hunter" teams get a % of the estate as a finders fee, but I can't figure out how this is agreed upon.

I mean, what if the new found heir says, "No, I'd like to keep all the money thank you"?

I would imagine the heirs have to sign a contract agreeing to the finders fee before the company reveal any information.  I've seen the programme once, a fair while ago, but seem to recall that in one of the cases one of the chaps they were talking to decided to pursue his claim through a rival company, so one can only assume our 'heir hunters' were undercut

I suppose... But I'm surprised that some people don't decide to approach the treasury themselves once they learn that there is an inheritance pending.

Some of them do Tom, however not everyone realises that you can and therefore think the way to get the money is through the Heir hunters.

I watch this all the time.

A recent one had been going on for years as a millionairess had tried to get rid of all her links to her true identity as a commoner to keep her past hidden from the high society circles she was part off.

Heir Hunters were finding it hard to trace her beginnings but managed a link through an old photo and some old car document. Was a great episode.

Geo

I have to admit that they really earned their money in today's episode Geo. It was a really poignant story too.

[Karabiner]

You should see Berlin's main railway station btw. I have some pics somewhere.

And... have you ever ridden in the caboose of a slow train on a single track? It's amazing. I have some pics somewhere...

Ooh, get you! That's not a word that's used often these days. Nice one.

It is use it to refer to women's arses when I'm pretending to be a cowboy.

Speaking of which, I noticed some interesting "accidental" inclusions in you holiday snaps...

[RED-DOG]

Moving on from the delightful use of "caboose", recent articles about the mackerel fishing quotas dispute that has caused so much unrest among the Scottish fishing community repeatedly used the word "pelagic", which I'd never once seen or heard before.

I'm curious as to the origin of that word. What's the betting that Tighty & AndrewT will know?

Andrew will know, Tighty will have a list of all possible meanings, past and present.