List of 10 unclaimed estates in Glasgow you could inherit if you have these surnames - how to claim

The Treasury has published its latest list of unclaimed estates in Glasgow, which you could inherit if you have a matching surname. All estates on the list are currently ‘ownerless’ as of May 2023, since no member of the family has come forward to claim it.

The best news is all you need to do to be in with a chance is check for a corresponding last name.

An unclaimed estate is when a person passes away without a sufficient will and no family comes forward to claim it.  If no family members come forward to claim the estate, the deceased person’s property will become ‘ownerless property’ and remain in possession of the Crown.

‘Ownerless’ estates can still be claimed within a 12-year period from when the Crown assumes possession of it. Any relative of the deceased can come forward and claim if they believe they are entitled to a share of the property.

For unclaimed estates before 1997, the Treasury will allow claims up to 30 years from the date of the person’s death, subject to no interest being paid on the money that is held - if the claim is received after the 12-year period has ended.

You can check if you’re in the running to inherit an unclaimed estate by using our interactive tool below.  It must also be noted that the list of surnames below, refer to people born in Glasgow but who have died in England and Wales. 

Who is entitled to an unclaimed estate?

If someone dies without leaving a valid or effective will the following relatives are entitled to the estate in the order shown below:

1.Husband, wife or civil partner

2. Children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and so on

3. Mother or father

4. Brothers or sisters who share both the same mother and father, or their children (nieces and nephews)

5. Half brothers or sisters or their children (nieces and nephews of the half blood or their children). ‘Half ’ means they share only one parent with the deceased

6. Grandparents

7. Uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins or their descendants)

8. Half uncles and aunts or their children (first cousins of the half blood or their children). ‘Half’ means they only share one grandparent with the deceased, not both

Cousins can claim an estate if there is no one above them in the order of relatives.

Surnames of the unclaimed properties in Edinburgh