Woman stunned after inheriting £28k from cousin she hadn't seen in 20 years

A retired teacher has been near shocked aft getting a telephone telephone informing her that she's inherited £28,000 from a household subordinate she hasn't seen successful 20 years.

Joan Williams, 82, received a telephone from Finders International - who diagnostic connected BBC amusement Heir Hunters - aft her relative Allan Reay, 74, died unsocial successful a nursing home.

Allan, who died successful 2022, had not made a volition and had nary known adjacent of tegument to inherit his estate, which was worthy £28,000.

This means Joan, who had not seen Allan successful implicit 20 years, was a beneficiary of his property and would beryllium fixed the money.

Joan, who is primitively from Marshe-by-the-Sea, North Yorks., but present lives successful France, was near shocked astatine archetypal but has decided to usage the wealth to spell connected holiday.

She said: "I was sceptical astatine first.

"It’s not the benignant of telephone telephone that I would expect – I was decidedly suspicious.

"As I unrecorded successful France I asked my son, who lives successful the UK, to look into it and it was soon confirmed that Finders International is simply a reputable steadfast that works extensively passim the satellite connected cases conscionable similar this.

"I inherited a windfall I wasn’t expecting and was utterly surprised.

"You conscionable don’t expect thing similar that to hap to you.

"My hubby and I program to walk it connected a vacation oregon possibly adjacent a cruise."

Allan was an lone child, ne'er joined and had nary children.

He lived with his parents Rhoda and Henry Rhea successful Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, and stayed successful the spot aft they died successful 1968 and 1990.

Joan’s representation of Allan was that helium was a chatty, amicable idiosyncratic and she said they had exchanged Christmas cards implicit the years.

She said: "My begetter and Allan’s parent were siblings – but I hadn’t seen Allan for galore decades, though we had exchanged Christmas cards implicit the years.

"I americium rather startled astatine the full process and however Finders tracked maine down successful France, on with respective different relations of Allan’s from some sides of his family."

According to Finders International’s interrogation of the governments database of unclaimed estates, determination are presently 6,000 unclaimed property successful England and Wales.

Simonne Llewellyn, CEO of Finders International said: "While this mightiness beryllium unexpected, it’s not wholly uncommon.

"People suffer interaction for each sorts of reasons, and portion we don’t cognize what Allan’s wishes were, had we not recovered these 10 beneficiaries the wealth would person yet gone to the treasury."