The Bona Vacantia List – Inheritance Fraud

When a person dies intestate and it is not possible to identify any heirs then the estate will eventually be taken over by the Crown. In England and Wales, where this happens there is a public list known as the “ Bona Vacantia ” list.

In July 2025, it was decided to temporarily suspend the list following concerns of probate fraud. As one could imagine, there were concerns fraudsters were using the list to wrongfully lay claim to estates that otherwise would have been Bona Vacantia by manufacturing, for example, fake Wills.

Earlier this year and after careful review the Government announced on 12 January 2026 that the Bona Vacantia list has been reinstated.

Whilst the review did not find any evidence that the list has been the source of fraud the reinstated list is now more limited than its predecessor. To help protect against the risk of misuse the reinstated list now only shows the deceased’s name, date of birth, place of death and the Bona Vacantia Division case reference number.

The re-instatement of the list does mean that, once again, families may be able to discover that a relative has died but the very fact that the list exists does reinforce the importance of having a valid and up-to-date Will.

Having a valid and up-to-date Will can avoid any unnecessary complications when it comes to the administration of your estate and will potentially avoid your estate being divided in a way that you perhaps did not intend.

How Colman Coyle can assist

At Colman Coyle our specialist Private Client team have the expertise to assist you whatever the issue. Whether you are looking to prepare a Will or update your existing Will or, possibly, a loved has passed away and you have questions about an unclaimed estate. Possibly, a Will has recently come to light in suspicious circumstances and does not seem genuine. At Colman Coyle we are well placed to assist you in relation to all of these matters.