0:00:01 > 0:00:04Heir hunters spend their lives tracking down
0:00:04 > 0:00:06the families of people who've died without leaving a will.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09They hand over thousands of pounds to long-lost relatives,
0:00:09 > 0:00:12who had no idea they were in line for a windfall.
0:00:12 > 0:00:15Could they be knocking at your door?
0:00:28 > 0:00:34On today's show, things aren't going smoothly for the heir hunters.
0:00:34 > 0:00:36You know, Whitehaven ain't that far away, is it?
0:00:36 > 0:00:42It's just a joke this. It's a joke. Somebody's having a laugh.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45And an unexpected inheritance
0:00:45 > 0:00:47propels one pensioner on a trip of a lifetime.
0:00:51 > 0:00:55Plus a list of unclaimed estates worth nearly half a million pounds.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Are you related to anyone on it?
0:01:06 > 0:01:11Every year, over 300,000 people die without leaving a will.
0:01:12 > 0:01:15If no family is found, their money goes to the government.
0:01:15 > 0:01:19That's when the heir hunting companies step in.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21They race against each other to be the first
0:01:21 > 0:01:24to track down any long-lost relatives entitled to inherit.
0:01:27 > 0:01:31Fraser & Fraser is the largest firm of heir hunters in the country.
0:01:31 > 0:01:32Nicky is the half sister.
0:01:32 > 0:01:36In its 30-year history, the company has tracked down
0:01:36 > 0:01:41over 50,000 heirs, entitled to a whopping sum of over £100 million.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53It's 7am, Thursday, in Fraser & Fraser's central London office.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56Thursday is always a crucial day for the heir hunters,
0:01:56 > 0:01:59as it's when the government releases its weekly list
0:01:59 > 0:02:02of those who've died with no known heirs.
0:02:02 > 0:02:03Where's my toast I ordered?
0:02:03 > 0:02:07Holding the reins today is senior case manager David Milchard,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10known to his workmates as Grimble.
0:02:10 > 0:02:12Hello. Fraser & Fraser.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16But not known for his technological skills.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Grimble has already chosen the estate they're going to pursue today
0:02:26 > 0:02:29and has got the ball rolling on the research.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31This guy called Joseph Hilliard...
0:02:31 > 0:02:38Looks like he lived in a small mining town up in Sunderland.
0:02:38 > 0:02:42Looks like the only case this morning that's worth looking at.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46The reason Frasers are interested in Joseph Hilliard
0:02:46 > 0:02:48is because they found out he owned
0:02:48 > 0:02:52this mining cottage in Sunderland, which could be worth some money.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55If he bought the property 20 years ago,
0:02:55 > 0:03:00the values there would probably be around about 60,000, so...
0:03:00 > 0:03:05Joseph Hilliard ended his days alone in a residential care home.
0:03:05 > 0:03:10He died without leaving a will, and nobody knew if he had any family.
0:03:10 > 0:03:13If Frasers can track down any relatives,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17then these people will be entitled to Joseph Hilliard's £60,000.
0:03:23 > 0:03:27With rival companies hot on their heals, Grimble needs to act fast.
0:03:31 > 0:03:34He's got a hunch that if Joseph Hilliard does have
0:03:34 > 0:03:38any living relatives, they will most likely live near to where he died -
0:03:38 > 0:03:40in Sunderland.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43We tend to find, particularly up in the northeast,
0:03:43 > 0:03:46they tend to stay, they're pretty static there,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50so it's more likely that he's a local lad.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54I don't think he's come from Birmingham or something like that.
0:03:54 > 0:03:56Sunderland is 300 miles away
0:03:56 > 0:03:58from the Frasers' office in London,
0:03:58 > 0:04:00but fortunately for heir hunters,
0:04:00 > 0:04:02distance is no problem.
0:04:03 > 0:04:06Frasers employs a team of travelling heir hunters,
0:04:06 > 0:04:09who spend their Thursdays poised for action.
0:04:09 > 0:04:11Thanks a lot, mate.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14Ready to go wherever the hunt takes them.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19These travellers cover every corner of the country
0:04:19 > 0:04:22and aim to get to any heirs in record time and sign them up
0:04:22 > 0:04:24before the competition.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31The nearest travelling heir hunter to Sunderland
0:04:31 > 0:04:33is Manchester-based Dave Mansell.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Ahhhh, life's hard, ain't it?
0:04:36 > 0:04:39Don't get too comfy, Dave. Life's just about to get harder.
0:04:39 > 0:04:43Aye. All right, I'm just gonna get Dave Mansell on the road,
0:04:43 > 0:04:46get him out of bed.
0:04:46 > 0:04:48He needs to get northeast as soon as possible
0:04:48 > 0:04:51to make sure he reaches any heirs before rival heir hunters.
0:04:54 > 0:04:56He ain't too happy.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01It is a bit of a jaunt really, from Manchester to Sunderland.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05And big boss Neil Fraser makes an executive decision.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07Um, let's get another guy going up there.
0:05:07 > 0:05:10It's...um...Ewart or Smith.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13You what?
0:05:13 > 0:05:17Because there's only one estate worth following today,
0:05:17 > 0:05:21senior researcher Ewart Lindsay is also enlisted.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Hello, mate. Can you start heading towards Sunderland?
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Sunderland?! Oh dear... Oh, right, OK.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33Yes, you know, that little place slightly north of London.
0:05:33 > 0:05:35I'll probably arrive half twelve.
0:05:35 > 0:05:37It'll take me four or five hours, yeah.
0:05:37 > 0:05:42Yeah. OK. All right. Speak to you later. OK. Bye.
0:05:42 > 0:05:45Ah... I've just got a long drive ahead.
0:05:45 > 0:05:47A LONG drive ahead.
0:05:47 > 0:05:48So it's a good night...
0:05:48 > 0:05:52It's a good thing I had a good night's sleep last night.
0:05:52 > 0:05:56Ewart's going to have to travel the length of the country.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01It's an unusual decision to send a travelling heir hunter so far.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04Do you still wanna send two up there?
0:06:04 > 0:06:08And minutes after making the call, Grimble thinks they've made a mistake.
0:06:13 > 0:06:15OK.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Whilst Ewart and Dave speed towards Sunderland,
0:06:23 > 0:06:26the office team press ahead with the research.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31To have any chance of finding the heirs,
0:06:31 > 0:06:33they need to build a family tree,
0:06:33 > 0:06:38working out generation by generation who is related to Joseph Hilliard.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43- Do you want to give Simon and Debbie a hand?- Yeah.
0:06:43 > 0:06:44But first off,
0:06:44 > 0:06:48they need to work out which Joseph Hilliard they are dealing with.
0:06:51 > 0:06:54Joseph Hilliard isn't a unique name,
0:06:54 > 0:06:57and the team don't yet know their Joseph Hilliard's birth date
0:06:57 > 0:06:59or the place where he was born.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03- Got rid of one.- Only, he must have several.- Yeah.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07So far, the team have found two Joseph Hilliards
0:07:07 > 0:07:08in the north of England alone -
0:07:08 > 0:07:11one in Lanchester on the northeast coast
0:07:11 > 0:07:15and one in Whitehaven on the other side of the country.
0:07:15 > 0:07:17The first rule of heir hunting
0:07:17 > 0:07:20is that people usually die near to where they were born,
0:07:20 > 0:07:22so the team take an educated guess
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and decide to follow up the Joseph Hilliard from Lanchester.
0:07:27 > 0:07:31Senior researcher Gareth Langford sets to the detective work,
0:07:31 > 0:07:36trying to piece together Joseph Hilliard's family history.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38It is very speculative at the moment.
0:07:38 > 0:07:44We've... There's a birth in...1922 in Lanchester
0:07:44 > 0:07:47that we're gonna look at... and hopefully, it's the right one.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50But at this stage, we can't really tell.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Until we've got an actual date or a certificate,
0:07:53 > 0:07:57we've got to follow up everything that we think might be right.
0:07:57 > 0:07:59It's just too risky.
0:07:59 > 0:08:04Gareth begins the family tree, but Grimble isn't totally convinced.
0:08:04 > 0:08:06I'd put that in pencil myself.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Yeah, but I'd have to re-write the entire thing anyway.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13The only way of getting any concrete information
0:08:13 > 0:08:16is to look at Joseph Hilliard's death certificate,
0:08:16 > 0:08:18held at Sunderland register office.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21This will show his date of birth
0:08:21 > 0:08:23and confirm whether they are following up
0:08:23 > 0:08:24the right Joseph Hilliard.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29Collecting the certificate would normally be the first job
0:08:29 > 0:08:32for the travelling heir hunter when they arrive in Sunderland.
0:08:32 > 0:08:36With the clock ticking and travellers Dave and Ewart still miles away,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39Grimble decides to ask a favour from a contact up north.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41Skip doing the enquiry for now.
0:08:41 > 0:08:44Can you go ahead straight to Sunderland registry,
0:08:44 > 0:08:47to get them to see his death cert?
0:08:47 > 0:08:53Because we're having difficulty proving his date and place of birth.
0:08:53 > 0:08:56It will still take a good hour to get the certificate.
0:08:56 > 0:09:00OK, then. All right, cheers. Bye.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02Frasers won't be the only company
0:09:02 > 0:09:05trying to find heirs to the Hilliard estate,
0:09:05 > 0:09:08so the team can't afford to sit and wait.
0:09:12 > 0:09:15Fraser & Fraser have spent hundreds of thousands of pounds
0:09:15 > 0:09:17on data about the British public,
0:09:17 > 0:09:20ranging from libraries of old phone directories to reels of microfilm
0:09:20 > 0:09:23listing birth, death and marriage records.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Gareth searches through these
0:09:27 > 0:09:30to find the name of the Lanchester Joseph Hilliard's mother,
0:09:30 > 0:09:34and once he has this, he looks to see if she had any other children.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36We've got a brother and a sister.
0:09:36 > 0:09:40We've just found the death of the brother, who died in infancy,
0:09:40 > 0:09:43and we're now looking for Mary W, so...
0:09:43 > 0:09:48Further research shows that this sister is no longer alive.
0:09:48 > 0:09:49But all is not lost.
0:09:49 > 0:09:52Gareth thinks he's found someone who could prove just as exciting.
0:09:52 > 0:09:56We found the sister of the deceased, Joseph,
0:09:56 > 0:10:01and she married to a Bartholemew O'Flaherty in 1956.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04They had one daughter, who was born in 1957,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06and they still live in the same area,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09so once we had the names, it wasn't difficult at all.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14The family tree of the Lanchester Joseph Hilliard
0:10:14 > 0:10:17now includes a brother and sister, both deceased,
0:10:17 > 0:10:19and Gareth thinks he's found his first heir -
0:10:19 > 0:10:22the daughter of Joseph Hilliard's late sister.
0:10:26 > 0:10:29I quite like it. I think it's right.
0:10:29 > 0:10:31So...we have to wait and see.
0:10:31 > 0:10:36Coming up, a change of direction in the office...
0:10:36 > 0:10:39All the work we've done this morning is no good.
0:10:39 > 0:10:41..sends Ewart on a wild goose chase.
0:10:41 > 0:10:45You're gonna love this one. I've been diverted. Back to London.
0:10:45 > 0:10:48And Dave battles with the elements...
0:10:50 > 0:10:52..and Grimble.
0:10:52 > 0:10:54No, no. Don't split hairs, Dave.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Heir hunters are genealogical private detectives,
0:11:01 > 0:11:05but they can't solve every case. Maybe you could help.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09Kenneth McDonald died aged 71
0:11:09 > 0:11:11in Wandsworth, London.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17Kenneth died in June 1996,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20leaving £55,000.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22Are you related to Kenneth?
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Should his money go to you?
0:11:24 > 0:11:27William Forde died in Arandale,
0:11:27 > 0:11:30West Sussex, aged 83.
0:11:30 > 0:11:33William passed away in July 2007
0:11:33 > 0:11:34with no known relatives,
0:11:34 > 0:11:38leaving a sum of £25,000.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40Do you know William Forde?
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Should you get his money
0:11:41 > 0:11:43rather than the government?
0:11:45 > 0:11:46Beryl Joan Hudson died
0:11:46 > 0:11:47in Colchester, Essex,
0:11:47 > 0:11:51in July 2006, aged 86.
0:11:51 > 0:11:56Beryl left an estate worth £18,000.
0:11:56 > 0:11:58Are you part of Beryl's family?
0:11:58 > 0:12:00Do you know someone who is?
0:12:00 > 0:12:03If you think you might be related to any of these people
0:12:03 > 0:12:07and entitled to their money, then please look at our website at...
0:12:10 > 0:12:12..for details on what to do next.
0:12:22 > 0:12:27At Fraser & Fraser, the heir hunters are looking for relatives of a Joseph Hilliard,
0:12:27 > 0:12:32who died in Sunderland, leaving an estate worth around £60,000.
0:12:32 > 0:12:36There are two travelling heir hunters on today's case -
0:12:36 > 0:12:39Dave, who is racing up from Manchester,
0:12:39 > 0:12:43and Ewart, who is on a 300-mile drive from London.
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Unable to confirm Joseph's birth date
0:12:46 > 0:12:49and working on the basis that people tend to die
0:12:49 > 0:12:51near to where they were born,
0:12:51 > 0:12:53Frasers' researchers have drawn up a family tree
0:12:53 > 0:12:56for a Lanchester-born Joseph Hilliard.
0:12:57 > 0:13:01They now look like they've got their first heir - a niece.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06What we've now got to do
0:13:06 > 0:13:12is try to get a contact telephone number for the niece.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16We'll also get somebody heading towards her house.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20Grimble gets on the phone to traveller Dave.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23We think we've found the right family.
0:13:23 > 0:13:26We've got a possible niece of the deceased,
0:13:26 > 0:13:28living in Consett.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30In Consett, right.
0:13:30 > 0:13:32'Yeah. Hoping it's all right.'
0:13:32 > 0:13:36Ron Wright's going to get the death to prove we're on the right family.
0:13:36 > 0:13:37- 'OK?'- Yeah.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40'So if you head to Consett, hopefully by then,'
0:13:40 > 0:13:43it'll prove to be correct and I'll give you the full details.
0:13:43 > 0:13:47- All right.- 'Thanks, bye.' - Cheers. Bye.
0:13:47 > 0:13:49Nice place, Consett, I have been before.
0:13:49 > 0:13:52With only one heir to sign up,
0:13:52 > 0:13:55one traveller seems like more than enough,
0:13:55 > 0:13:57but Ewart's two hours into his journey.
0:13:57 > 0:13:58Turn around?!
0:13:58 > 0:14:03If we're right, we think we've found...a niece of the deceased.
0:14:03 > 0:14:06- Oh, right. - Yeah, where are you now anyway?
0:14:06 > 0:14:09- Just gone through Leicester. - Righto, you're too far away.
0:14:09 > 0:14:10Might as well come back.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14All right, so I'll head back and see... OK, all right, then.
0:14:14 > 0:14:15OK. Bye.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17Cor, dear.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19After all that!
0:14:19 > 0:14:21We've got to turn around.
0:14:21 > 0:14:24So there's nothing for me to do. Just turn back round.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27I was looking forward to my trip in Sunderland(!)
0:14:27 > 0:14:28Cor...
0:14:31 > 0:14:32EWART LAUGHS
0:14:32 > 0:14:35With Ewart on his way back to London
0:14:35 > 0:14:36and Dave heading towards Consett,
0:14:36 > 0:14:39things area all working out nicely for Dave.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43But then, Grimble gets a phone call from his contact in Sunderland.
0:14:43 > 0:14:46Hello, Ron.
0:14:46 > 0:14:48He's got Joseph Hilliard's death certificate.
0:14:48 > 0:14:52As long as it confirms that he was born in 1922,
0:14:52 > 0:14:56the team know that the Lanchester Joseph Hilliard is the right one.
0:14:56 > 0:14:5918th of June...
0:15:01 > 0:15:02..1931.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13Right, Ron Wright's got the death of the deceased and unfortunately,
0:15:13 > 0:15:18it's indicated that the birth for the Joseph Hilliard in 1922 is wrong,
0:15:18 > 0:15:22because according to the death, he's born in 1931.
0:15:23 > 0:15:27Gareth's Lanchester-born Joseph Hilliard was a red herring,
0:15:27 > 0:15:30and the family tree they've drawn up is all wrong.
0:15:30 > 0:15:33All the work we've done this morning is no good.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35It's completely wrong family.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37The niece - what we thought was the niece -
0:15:37 > 0:15:39she's not part of the family at all,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42so it's all back to the drawing board, really.
0:15:42 > 0:15:46Coming up, will the team be able to make up for lost time?
0:15:46 > 0:15:50- Right, I'm on the wrong side of the country.- 'Yeah, I know.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:55Or will they be beaten to the heirs by the competition?
0:15:55 > 0:15:59- 30 seconds ago, you've told me that the...- BLEEP- ..family you've worked is wrong.
0:16:04 > 0:16:0760 miles south of London in the sleepy town of Burgess Hill
0:16:07 > 0:16:12is the epicentre of a very different heir hunting organisation.
0:16:15 > 0:16:16Oh, oh, yes, I know,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18about ringing West Yorkshire to find out
0:16:18 > 0:16:21where the Newby Hall archives have gone to.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22I'll do that.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- Today?- Yes.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26Thank you very much.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28Husband and wife Charles and Mary Teviot
0:16:28 > 0:16:33run two his and hers probate research companies from their family home.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36Right, I think I'll make a note of that.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39We share things. We share the microfiche readers,
0:16:39 > 0:16:40we share the computers,
0:16:40 > 0:16:44sometimes we get cross with each other and sometimes we don't.
0:16:44 > 0:16:47I've just found it hard to get hold of the Irish telephone number.
0:16:47 > 0:16:48Go onto Google
0:16:48 > 0:16:52and put in Irish telephone directories or Irish post offices.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56Far from hi-tech, the Teviots work from two converted bedrooms
0:16:56 > 0:17:00with a wardrobe doubling up as a national records archive.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04This cupboard actually had a bed in it, which came down.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06So we got rid of the bed.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09There were two bedrooms here and bits were added on, we've got two offices.
0:17:09 > 0:17:13Which is pretty handy. And so we work away here, and it's really quite nice
0:17:13 > 0:17:15just to get up in the morning
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- and come straight downstairs.- Indeed.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20And not have to get on a train or a bus or go anywhere.
0:17:20 > 0:17:22And they're not your average Joe Public.
0:17:22 > 0:17:28In fact, Charles and Mary are a lord and a lady, although they don't stand on ceremony.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32I suppose if you're not cor blimey, it might help a little bit,
0:17:32 > 0:17:35but then very often, one wouldn't say one was Lord or Lady Teviot.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39They got their title through Charles's father,
0:17:39 > 0:17:41seen here with none other than Winston Churchill.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46He'd served in Neville Chamberlain's government in the 1930s
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and was made a hereditary peer in 1940.
0:17:49 > 0:17:53Didn't inherit a lot of money at all,
0:17:53 > 0:17:56but I suppose, you know, a seat in the House of Lords
0:17:56 > 0:17:59and one thing and another sort of rather led from that,
0:17:59 > 0:18:00and one went on.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03Charles and Mary share an interest in genealogy
0:18:03 > 0:18:08and for the past 30 years have been making a living from heir hunting.
0:18:08 > 0:18:12I think it's kind of like a form of detective work without having any hassle with criminals.
0:18:12 > 0:18:15Whether it's because we're both only children
0:18:15 > 0:18:18and we're interested in other people's families,
0:18:18 > 0:18:23- and I think that other people's lives are very interesting, aren't they? - Well, they are.
0:18:23 > 0:18:26I mean, they can be boring, but basically, they're interesting.
0:18:29 > 0:18:32One of the couple's recent success stories was the hunt for an heir
0:18:32 > 0:18:37to the £15,000 unclaimed estate of a Raymond Edwards.
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Raymond was 80 when he died in 1999.
0:18:41 > 0:18:44He left no will and no known relatives.
0:18:44 > 0:18:48His name had been on the government's list of unclaimed estates for nine years
0:18:48 > 0:18:53and had been ignored by heir hunting companies like Frasers because the value was too low.
0:18:53 > 0:18:56But it was a perfect case for the Teviots.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01My policy is to do old cases
0:19:01 > 0:19:07of...you know, fairly low value so, hopefully, we don't get competition.
0:19:07 > 0:19:12Charles set to work finding out all he could about Raymond Edwards.
0:19:12 > 0:19:14He was born in 1922,
0:19:14 > 0:19:17and one went back to 1920
0:19:17 > 0:19:20and found the parents getting married so that was all right,
0:19:20 > 0:19:24and then one looked to see if he had any other brothers and sisters.
0:19:24 > 0:19:29Charles then discovered that Raymond had had a sister seven years his junior.
0:19:29 > 0:19:37One found, in 1929, Irene Elizabeth Rosetta.
0:19:37 > 0:19:38But there was a problem.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Irene Edwards was recorded in the electoral rolls up until 1960,
0:19:43 > 0:19:46but then mysteriously disappeared.
0:19:46 > 0:19:50So I mean, she more or less what you might call vanished into thin air,
0:19:50 > 0:19:52as one thought, but one had to find her.
0:19:52 > 0:19:55Where had this sister gone?
0:19:55 > 0:19:59And if she was alive, why didn't she know that her brother had died?
0:20:01 > 0:20:03To find out what had happened to Irene,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06Charles looked through marriage and death records.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10You've got to marry that person off or kill them off.
0:20:10 > 0:20:12Anyway, as far as Irene,
0:20:12 > 0:20:15we didn't marry her off and we didn't kill her off,
0:20:15 > 0:20:19but we couldn't proceed any further until we found her, so to speak.
0:20:22 > 0:20:25Convinced that Irene Edwards must still be alive,
0:20:25 > 0:20:28Charles was at a loss as to how to proceed,
0:20:28 > 0:20:32but he then came across another method for tracking down missing people.
0:20:32 > 0:20:35There's this new service called Traceline,
0:20:35 > 0:20:40and so one paid a sum of money and fills in the form.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44A letter written by Charles was sent via Traceline
0:20:44 > 0:20:47to a person he hoped would be Raymond's long lost sister.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55It found its way to a residential home in Lincolnshire,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59where 79-year-old Irene lives.
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Well, I was intrigued because I have three Christian names,
0:21:03 > 0:21:07and I couldn't think of anyone who would know all three Christian names.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09So out of sheer interest, I thought,
0:21:09 > 0:21:11I must find out where this letter is from.
0:21:11 > 0:21:16When Irene replied, Charles knew he'd found his heir.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19He now had to break the unhappy news
0:21:19 > 0:21:22that her only brother had died a whole nine years ago.
0:21:22 > 0:21:25As each year his birthday came round, I used to think,
0:21:25 > 0:21:27I wonder what's happening to him,
0:21:27 > 0:21:31I wonder if he's all right, and I thought eventually,
0:21:31 > 0:21:34that some time or other, he would...he would die.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36But, of course, you sort of think
0:21:36 > 0:21:40that somehow or other, people will find out and will let you know,
0:21:40 > 0:21:44so...it was a shock to know that he'd died so long ago.
0:21:44 > 0:21:47Irene and Raymond had a happy childhood,
0:21:47 > 0:21:51living with their parents in this house in Mitcham, Surrey.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54We did used to play indoor games like cards,
0:21:54 > 0:22:00we used to play cards and "I spy..." I would always got my nose
0:22:00 > 0:22:04in a book, and he'd always be making something somewhere.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07He was a lot more serious, I think, on his outlook on life than I was.
0:22:07 > 0:22:10I was the joker.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13Awful little type I was.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15IRENE LAUGHS
0:22:15 > 0:22:17Always turning everything into a joke.
0:22:17 > 0:22:21But no, he wasn't like that at all.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24In 1958, Raymond got married,
0:22:24 > 0:22:26and this pushed the siblings further apart.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29We didn't really get on terribly well with his wife,
0:22:29 > 0:22:33we just didn't... didn't sort of connect at all.
0:22:33 > 0:22:36He never came round to see us, and we never went round to see them,
0:22:36 > 0:22:38so it just sort of...after that...
0:22:38 > 0:22:42then I moved away, we just lost touch completely.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45It's the sort of thing that often happened in those days.
0:22:45 > 0:22:48People moved away, you moved to a different area.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50You didn't have a telephone or anything, so...
0:22:50 > 0:22:54The last time Irene saw her brother was forty years ago
0:22:54 > 0:22:56at their father's funeral.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01Even then we didn't sort of rush up to each other and hug each other
0:23:01 > 0:23:05or anything like that, because we'd say we just didn't do that.
0:23:05 > 0:23:09So... I don't know how he was feeling.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11I'm just sorry that...
0:23:11 > 0:23:15I didn't see as much of him as perhaps we could have done in...
0:23:15 > 0:23:16in older years.
0:23:21 > 0:23:25Today, Charles is heading over to see Irene
0:23:25 > 0:23:27to talk her through the paperwork.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31He also explains that her £15,000 windfall
0:23:31 > 0:23:32may have actually gone up in value.
0:23:32 > 0:23:37As Raymond died in 1999,
0:23:37 > 0:23:42you've got eight...a good eight years, or eight plus years,
0:23:42 > 0:23:45- to get interest. - Oh, that would be nice.
0:23:45 > 0:23:48I mean, anything is nice when it comes out of the blue like that.
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Well, it is.
0:23:50 > 0:23:52I mean, I'm surprised in actual fact
0:23:52 > 0:23:54that there is as much money in my brothers...
0:23:54 > 0:23:57erm...account, whatever you like to call it.
0:23:57 > 0:23:59Well, I think he must have been careful.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02Raymond might have been careful with his money,
0:24:02 > 0:24:04but that doesn't mean Irene has to be.
0:24:04 > 0:24:07She's not interested in spending her windfall on paying the bills
0:24:07 > 0:24:11but has something altogether different in mind.
0:24:11 > 0:24:13I'd like to go up in a helicopter.
0:24:13 > 0:24:14- You would?- Yes.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16It would be quite... quite nice to go up
0:24:16 > 0:24:21and have an aerial view of where... where we live.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25Charles hasn't met many 79-year-olds with such a sense of adventure.
0:24:25 > 0:24:30His mission accomplished, he heads back home.
0:24:30 > 0:24:34It will take several months for Raymond's money to come through,
0:24:34 > 0:24:37but safe in the knowledge that it's on its way,
0:24:37 > 0:24:40Irene decides to fulfil the dream of a lifetime.
0:24:48 > 0:24:52Nearing 80 and having had both of her knees replaced,
0:24:52 > 0:24:55Irene is one of the pluckiest helicopter passengers.
0:24:55 > 0:24:59Grab onto there. You never done much tap dancing in your day, have you?
0:24:59 > 0:25:02I have, but I was a lot livelier then.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04- Right.- See my new knee joints.
0:25:04 > 0:25:07She's given the full VIP treatment.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Shall I tighten them up a bit?
0:25:09 > 0:25:12- Sorry?- Shall I tighten them up a little bit?
0:25:12 > 0:25:14They're all right, they feel quite tight.
0:25:14 > 0:25:17OK, all right, then. There you go.
0:25:17 > 0:25:20- Do you want to go up towards York? - York Minster?- Yes.
0:25:20 > 0:25:24OK, shall we go and see that? That'll be perfect. That'll be just right.
0:25:24 > 0:25:27It's time for Irene's dream to come true.
0:25:27 > 0:25:28Ooh.
0:25:28 > 0:25:29Well, almost.
0:25:29 > 0:25:32ENGINE SPLUTTERS
0:25:32 > 0:25:37ENGINE STARTS
0:25:37 > 0:25:38ENGINE STOPS
0:25:38 > 0:25:40Not a good start.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44But it will take more than a shaky start to faze Irene.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11'It was something that I've always wanted to do,
0:26:11 > 0:26:14'but I wouldn't have done it if I hadn't had the help from Raymond.'
0:26:18 > 0:26:21If Charles hadn't managed to track down Irene,
0:26:21 > 0:26:23she might not have learned of her brother's death
0:26:23 > 0:26:25and wouldn't have experienced
0:26:25 > 0:26:28this unexpected pleasure late in her own life.
0:26:30 > 0:26:33So wherever you are, dear, thank you very much indeed.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47An unexpected windfall can change a life,
0:26:47 > 0:26:50and you too could be in line to inherit some money.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Patrick Kielly died aged 82 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.
0:26:56 > 0:27:02Patrick died in April 2006, leaving £26,000. Are you related to him?
0:27:02 > 0:27:04Could you be entitled to his cash?
0:27:06 > 0:27:10Doreen Hudson died in Bradford, West Yorkshire, aged 76.
0:27:10 > 0:27:15Doreen's estate is valued at £14,000, and nobody has claimed it.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Do you know Doreen Hudson?
0:27:17 > 0:27:19Could you be one of her heirs?
0:27:19 > 0:27:21Sarah Blygh died in Camberley,
0:27:21 > 0:27:24Surrey, in February 2007.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27Sarah was 79 when she passed away
0:27:27 > 0:27:30and left an estate worth £17,000.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33Might you be part of Sarah's family?
0:27:33 > 0:27:35Do you know someone who is?
0:27:35 > 0:27:37If you are related to any of these people,
0:27:37 > 0:27:40then you could be entitled to inherit their money.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42For further information,
0:27:42 > 0:27:43take a look at our website
0:27:43 > 0:27:44and follow details
0:27:44 > 0:27:46on what to do next.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00Sometimes, even the professionals struggle to track down heirs.
0:28:00 > 0:28:04Like the team at Fraser & Fraser, who today are trying to find
0:28:04 > 0:28:06the relatives of a Joseph Hilliard,
0:28:06 > 0:28:10who died leaving an estate worth around £60,000.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14The team thought they'd found an heir,
0:28:14 > 0:28:18but then realised they were researching the wrong family.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22They've wasted four hours and have two travelling heir hunters
0:28:22 > 0:28:24in the wrong parts of the country.
0:28:24 > 0:28:28All the work we've done this morning is no good.
0:28:28 > 0:28:32Ewart is heading back to London, having been turned back to base.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34Dave is near Consett,
0:28:34 > 0:28:37about to call on the wrong Joseph Hilliard's niece.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41And the right Joseph Hilliard was born in Whitehaven
0:28:41 > 0:28:43which, by heir hunting rules,
0:28:43 > 0:28:46is where the heirs are now most likely to be.
0:28:46 > 0:28:49As Joseph Hilliard's estate is the only one worth any money
0:28:49 > 0:28:51on today's government list,
0:28:51 > 0:28:54there's a fair chance rival companies may have reached heirs
0:28:54 > 0:28:56before Frasers.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59Head honcho Neil is not happy.
0:28:59 > 0:29:02He calls a crisis meeting to try to decide
0:29:02 > 0:29:05where to send the travelling heir hunters next.
0:29:07 > 0:29:10So we need Ewart still up there.
0:29:10 > 0:29:13If this person is right, we're now on the other side of the country.
0:29:13 > 0:29:15If you sent Ewart to Whitehaven,
0:29:15 > 0:29:20by the time we knew anything was right, he would be half way there.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23- If he wasn't, then he can come home again.- It could be a mammoth job.
0:29:23 > 0:29:27- 30 seconds ago, you've told me that the...- BLEEP- ..family you've worked is wrong.
0:29:27 > 0:29:29Do you want him or not?
0:29:29 > 0:29:32We don't even know if Whitehaven's gonna be right anyway.
0:29:32 > 0:29:33- I'll stop him, all right?- Yeah.
0:29:33 > 0:29:38And what do you do? Keep Mansell going in case it comes across?
0:29:38 > 0:29:39Well, ask him. I mean...
0:29:39 > 0:29:42Well, you know, until we know where we're going...
0:29:42 > 0:29:44Right, well, send Ewart across then.
0:29:44 > 0:29:50- We've worked the wrong family so far, and we've got two travellers in the middle of...- BLEEP- ..nowhere.
0:29:50 > 0:29:51I'll send them to Whitehaven.
0:29:51 > 0:29:55Case manager Marcus alerts Ewart in his own charming style.
0:29:55 > 0:29:59Well, just head for Whitehaven and we'll tell ya.
0:29:59 > 0:30:01Yeah? All right, mate. Bye.
0:30:03 > 0:30:06Ewart was on his way back to base,
0:30:06 > 0:30:08but now the office are sending him back up north.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11I've been diverted, after doing about a hundred miles...
0:30:11 > 0:30:14diverted, now, I'm going to...
0:30:14 > 0:30:18er...Cumbria. Whitehaven.
0:30:20 > 0:30:23So in total, in two days, I'll probably do about 700 miles.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28At least, Ewart is taking the news in his stride,
0:30:28 > 0:30:31and Grimble is also trying to look on the bright side.
0:30:31 > 0:30:35We've got to speculate, take a chance.
0:30:35 > 0:30:38All right, we've spent three... three or four hours...
0:30:38 > 0:30:40OK, it turned out to be the wrong family,
0:30:40 > 0:30:44but, hey, being the right family, what would we have been doing?
0:30:44 > 0:30:47We would have been sitting round doing nothing for four hours.
0:30:47 > 0:30:50But with Dave ten minutes from the end of his three-hour journey
0:30:50 > 0:30:53to a person he thinks is his first heir,
0:30:53 > 0:30:55how is he going to react when he finds out
0:30:55 > 0:30:57he's actually on the road to nowhere?
0:30:59 > 0:31:01Grimble tries to be diplomatic.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03Where is Consett at all? That's...
0:31:03 > 0:31:06We're on the A68.
0:31:06 > 0:31:07'A68.'
0:31:07 > 0:31:11Yeah... Just hang on, I'll get the map, cos we've got it handy.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Eight to ten miles from Consett now.
0:31:16 > 0:31:18Yeah, well, brilliant.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22'OK. Can you continue along that road?'
0:31:22 > 0:31:23Yeah.
0:31:23 > 0:31:25To Whitehaven.
0:31:25 > 0:31:28- Where?- Whitehaven.
0:31:28 > 0:31:30Whitehaven's on the west coast, Grimble.
0:31:30 > 0:31:34It's the thinnest part of England up there, isn't it?
0:31:34 > 0:31:35The timing might be comic,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38but it doesn't look like David sees the funny side.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Well, I'm on the wrong side of the country.- Yeah, I know.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43Well, God knows how long it will take us.
0:31:43 > 0:31:45Yeah. All right.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47- 'OK?'- Right.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50OK, bye.
0:31:50 > 0:31:52He ain't happy with that.
0:31:55 > 0:31:56Got to head towards Whitehaven.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58We're on the east side of the country,
0:31:58 > 0:32:01now he wants me to go to the very west side.
0:32:03 > 0:32:09It's just a joke, this. It's a joke. Somebody's having a laugh.
0:32:09 > 0:32:13Dave's just driven 150 miles in the wrong direction
0:32:13 > 0:32:17and somebody else who is definitely not having a laugh is Ewart.
0:32:17 > 0:32:21He's just been pulled over by the boys in blue for driving too fast.
0:32:21 > 0:32:24- Do you know why we've stopped you? - I'm not too sure.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26An educated guess?
0:32:26 > 0:32:27- I'm not too sure.- OK, then.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Just before the M6 toll...
0:32:31 > 0:32:32..the police flagged me,
0:32:32 > 0:32:36flashed me, pulled over and said, "Oh, er...
0:32:36 > 0:32:39"Do you know why we've stopped you?" "I haven't got a clue."
0:32:39 > 0:32:43"Oh, you were speeding, you were doing 90 miles an hour."
0:32:43 > 0:32:47I was gonna say, "Everyone drives at 90 miles an hour,"
0:32:47 > 0:32:51but you know... So they fined me £60
0:32:51 > 0:32:53and three points off my licence.
0:32:53 > 0:32:55Fantastic.
0:32:55 > 0:32:58It looks like nobody's having a good day at Fraser & Fraser,
0:32:58 > 0:33:02and unless they manage to get to Whitehaven before any of their competitors,
0:33:02 > 0:33:04it could be one of the worst days they've had.
0:33:04 > 0:33:07One of those less than memorable days, isn't it?
0:33:16 > 0:33:20The research team work furiously to catch up for lost time,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23and at last, they have some luck.
0:33:23 > 0:33:27We've got one sibling, a brother...erm...
0:33:27 > 0:33:30still living in Whitehaven, so we're gonna give him a call.
0:33:30 > 0:33:34Could they have found Joseph Hilliard's brother?
0:33:34 > 0:33:37This is Frasers last chance to make a success of the day.
0:33:39 > 0:33:40Hello. Is that Mr Hilliard?
0:33:40 > 0:33:43Oh, sorry to trouble you. My name's David Milchard.
0:33:43 > 0:33:45I'm calling from London.
0:33:45 > 0:33:48I'm trying to trace a family by the name of Hilliard
0:33:48 > 0:33:51in connection with an estate I'm dealing with.
0:33:51 > 0:33:56Now, would your parents have been John Hilliard and Mary Stewart?
0:33:56 > 0:33:59Yeah, OK, fine.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02That's the news Grimble's been waiting for.
0:34:02 > 0:34:04He is the right Joseph's brother.
0:34:05 > 0:34:07All right. Do you know what happened to Joseph?
0:34:09 > 0:34:13You haven't heard from him since when?
0:34:13 > 0:34:14About four or five years. Oh.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17The fact the brothers have lost touch
0:34:17 > 0:34:20won't stop David Hilliard from becoming an heir.
0:34:20 > 0:34:24But if Joseph had children, it will be them who get all the money.
0:34:24 > 0:34:26And did he have any children, do you know?
0:34:28 > 0:34:31Three or four. And do you know what happened to them?
0:34:31 > 0:34:34I mean, are you in contact with them at all?
0:34:34 > 0:34:35All right.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43Right, so they're still in the Whitehaven area, are they?
0:34:45 > 0:34:48This phone call is a massive breakthrough for Frasers.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51They now know that Joseph had six children,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54three of whom are still alive and living in Whitehaven.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57It shows what a difference half an hour makes.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59Half an hour we had what we thought was a niece.
0:34:59 > 0:35:04That's proved to be totally rubbish, and now we believe we're on to the right family.
0:35:04 > 0:35:09We're home and dry as far as it being the correct family.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11But Grimble's troubles aren't over,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13as an old problem rears its head again.
0:35:13 > 0:35:15With just three heirs to sign up,
0:35:15 > 0:35:19sending two travellers up north is unnecessary.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22Unable to face ringing himself, Grimble gets a colleague
0:35:22 > 0:35:24to do the dirty work.
0:35:25 > 0:35:27Just been rung up by Francis...
0:35:29 > 0:35:31You're gonna love this one.
0:35:31 > 0:35:35I've been diverted back to London.
0:35:35 > 0:35:41So I've just got three points on my licence for absolutely nothing.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44I am not happy.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47Ewart does U-turn on M1. LAUGHTER
0:35:47 > 0:35:51And on the A68, Dave's battling the elements
0:35:51 > 0:35:53in his epic journey to Whitehaven.
0:35:53 > 0:35:55Absolutely atrocious.
0:35:55 > 0:36:00We've gone from freezing fog now to absolute torrential downpour.
0:36:02 > 0:36:07And we're still nearly two hours away from where they want me to go,
0:36:07 > 0:36:11having gone up a wild goose chase on the wrong side of the country.
0:36:11 > 0:36:14Dave checks in to let off steam.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17Ah, Dave, Dave, Dave... This is the way it works.
0:36:17 > 0:36:20You know, we go into one place, we work on a family,
0:36:20 > 0:36:21then it all proves to be wrong,
0:36:21 > 0:36:24then we find he's on the other side of the country.
0:36:24 > 0:36:26You know, the point is, we're on the track now
0:36:26 > 0:36:29to see some children of the deceased, so when you get there...
0:36:29 > 0:36:33Yeah, I know. Don't split hairs, Dave. You know,
0:36:33 > 0:36:35Whitehaven ain't that far away, is it?
0:36:37 > 0:36:39Eh? Yeah, OK. Yeah.
0:36:42 > 0:36:45Dave and Grimble aren't the only ones feeling the pressure.
0:36:45 > 0:36:47Ewart is still on the road.
0:36:49 > 0:36:52Today, he left the house at 7.30am,
0:36:52 > 0:36:55has driven from London to Sunderland,
0:36:55 > 0:37:00was diverted at Leicester back home, was then sent to Whitehaven,
0:37:00 > 0:37:05and then, just before he arrived, was asked to return back to base.
0:37:05 > 0:37:07It's now 4.30, and to Ewart's dismay,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10the office need him to run another errand.
0:37:13 > 0:37:16Yeah, tell them that I'm now... I'm now at...
0:37:18 > 0:37:19At erm...
0:37:23 > 0:37:26- 'Do you know where you are, Ewart?' - I...
0:37:26 > 0:37:30My mind has just gone blank cos I'm so knackered.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32I've just done about 350 miles going nowhere.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36Ewart has been asked to collect a certificate for an old case.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39He's praying he'll then be allowed to head home.
0:37:39 > 0:37:45This son, if it is correct, he lives in south Humberside.
0:37:45 > 0:37:47I really don't want to go to south Humberside.
0:37:47 > 0:37:51I've just driven 350 miles.
0:37:51 > 0:37:54As Ewart waits for a call back with his next instructions,
0:37:54 > 0:37:57his fate rests in the hands of the gods.
0:37:57 > 0:38:00Well, in the hands of Neil Fraser.
0:38:00 > 0:38:03I hope I don't have to drive another 200 miles or something.
0:38:06 > 0:38:07I would cry.
0:38:07 > 0:38:10But at last, the gods are smiling on Ewart.
0:38:10 > 0:38:12Yeah...
0:38:12 > 0:38:13Cheers. Bye.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18(Yes.) I'm heading home.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21# I'm heading home, I'm heading home... #
0:38:21 > 0:38:23Ewart's day may finally have ended,
0:38:23 > 0:38:27but Dave's still got important work to do.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30He's just reached his destination,
0:38:30 > 0:38:33a pub where Joseph's daughter Yvonne lives.
0:38:33 > 0:38:35The Ship.
0:38:35 > 0:38:39But Neil knows it's going to be a difficult meeting.
0:38:39 > 0:38:42We don't think they know about the deceased dying, but...
0:38:42 > 0:38:45it's one of these things which is very, very close.
0:38:45 > 0:38:47We don't really like dealing with children
0:38:47 > 0:38:50because there's more emotion and more heart in it.
0:38:54 > 0:38:59Breaking the news isn't as difficult as Dave had feared,
0:38:59 > 0:39:01but it's still an emotional meeting.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04He died in a home of some description, a care home or a nursing home.
0:39:04 > 0:39:08- I don't know what exactly yet, but we will find out and let you know. - Yeah.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11We thought he was dead about two years ago.
0:39:11 > 0:39:14We all understood him to be dead,
0:39:14 > 0:39:18so to turn around and say he only died last year makes you feel...
0:39:18 > 0:39:21you know, maybe you could have gone to see him or...
0:39:23 > 0:39:26He moved away when we were all small,
0:39:26 > 0:39:30and you just never think about it, you know,
0:39:30 > 0:39:31you never ever think, do you?
0:39:31 > 0:39:34He never did turn back up, so...
0:39:36 > 0:39:38..it's just sad.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40- But we will find out and let you know.- Yeah.
0:39:40 > 0:39:42Dave's got some more news for Yvonne.
0:39:42 > 0:39:45But it means because he died without leaving a will,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47and his wife had pre-deceased him,
0:39:47 > 0:39:51that all his children would share whatever estate there was.
0:39:51 > 0:39:52Now, at this moment in time,
0:39:52 > 0:39:56- we're not really sure how much there is.- No.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59We think there's somewhere in the region of about £40,000.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- His house is valued at more than that.- Yeah.
0:40:02 > 0:40:03Because he's been in care,
0:40:03 > 0:40:06- he would have had to pay towards the upkeep of his care.- Right.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09- So we don't know how much has gone on that.- Right.
0:40:09 > 0:40:13- So I know that some of your brothers and sisters have died?- Yes. Three dead.
0:40:13 > 0:40:16- So their children will share their part.- Yeah. Yeah.
0:40:16 > 0:40:18It's a lot for Yvonne to take in,
0:40:18 > 0:40:21and now, there's the paperwork to go through.
0:40:21 > 0:40:25Dave asks Yvonne to sign a contract with Frasers.
0:40:25 > 0:40:28This allows the heir hunters to help Yvonne put in a claim
0:40:28 > 0:40:32for her share of the estate, which will amount to around £10,000.
0:40:32 > 0:40:35- OK, thanks very much.- Thank you. - Pleasure to meet you.
0:40:35 > 0:40:38- Thanks for your hospitality. - See you again.- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.
0:40:38 > 0:40:42Yvonne's brother and sister also live in Whitehaven,
0:40:42 > 0:40:44and Dave heads over to meet them.
0:40:44 > 0:40:47One last difficult meeting before his long day is over.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Hiya. I'm looking for Paul and Angela Hilliard.
0:40:56 > 0:40:57Yeah, that's us.
0:40:57 > 0:41:00- Is that you?- Mmm. - Is she in, your sister?- Yeah.
0:41:00 > 0:41:02- Can I come in to see you?- Yeah.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06Also at the house is their mother, Margaret,
0:41:06 > 0:41:09Joseph Hilliard's first wife.
0:41:09 > 0:41:10This part of the family is close.
0:41:10 > 0:41:15In fact, Angela is a full-time carer for her mother and brother.
0:41:15 > 0:41:18But they'd all lost touch with Joseph and had no idea
0:41:18 > 0:41:22that he had died just a few months ago.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25I haven't seen him since I was 15 year old.
0:41:25 > 0:41:27The last time...
0:41:29 > 0:41:33So, it's more of a shock than anything else.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36It's nice that they've got closure, really, isn't it?
0:41:36 > 0:41:41- Yeah, it is. It is. Very much so. - Knowing he's dead. Mmm.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44Dave goes through the inheritance paperwork with them.
0:41:46 > 0:41:48- It's a pleasure.- Thank you.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51- Not to bring bad news, but to sort it out for you.- Yeah.
0:41:51 > 0:41:57'You're treading on eggshells in many respects.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59'You've got to get round to telling them,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01'cos that's the reason you're there.'
0:42:01 > 0:42:04It's not like I haven't done it before.
0:42:04 > 0:42:08It's a horrible thing to have to do, er...but it has to be done.
0:42:08 > 0:42:13Now there's one last job, letting Grimble know how he's got on.
0:42:14 > 0:42:16- Hello.- Hi, Grimble.
0:42:16 > 0:42:19- Hello, mate. How are you going? - All right. Seen Angela.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- 'Yeah.'- And Paul.
0:42:21 > 0:42:23- 'Uh-huh.'- Both signed up.
0:42:23 > 0:42:25Oh, well done. Well done.
0:42:25 > 0:42:29- Now, mum thought that he'd died a couple of years ago.- 'Yeah.'
0:42:29 > 0:42:31So it was a shock for them to find out
0:42:31 > 0:42:34- that he'd only died in September.- Yeah.
0:42:34 > 0:42:37And they've never had a penny off him in all their lives, the kids,
0:42:37 > 0:42:39so this is like a bonus, really.
0:42:39 > 0:42:43OK, then. All right then, my old son, well done.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45- Bye.- 'Lovely. Bye.'
0:42:45 > 0:42:49Eight hours into the search, the team have found and signed up
0:42:49 > 0:42:52all the heirs to Joseph Hilliard's £60,000 estate...
0:42:52 > 0:42:54Another successful day.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56..beating the competition.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd
0:43:20 > 0:43:22E-mail subtitling@bbc.co.uk