15 April 2026 · 3 min read
Looking at the years of death recorded on the current unclaimed estates list — how far back the oldest entries go, and why some claims are more urgent than others.
The Bona Vacantia list contains estates going back decades. Under UK law, a blood relative can make a claim up to 30 years after the date of death — which means that some entries on the current list are approaching, or have already reached, the point where no further claim is possible. Understanding the age profile of the list matters if you are considering whether to begin research.
| Decade of death | Estates | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1970sclaim window closing | 1 | 0.1% |
| 1990sclaim window closing | 125 | 12.5% |
| 2000s | 349 | 34.9% |
| 2010s | 322 | 32.2% |
| 2020s | 203 | 20.3% |
Time-sensitive estates on the list
There are currently 99 estates where the date of death is within two years of the 30-year claim cutoff (1996 or earlier). If you are researching a family connection to one of these estates, time is limited.
An estate does not typically appear on the Bona Vacantia list immediately after death. The process involves the Treasury Solicitor establishing that there are no known relatives and that the estate has passed to the Crown — which can take months or years. Based on the estates in the FindMyLegacy database where both a date of death and a date of addition to the list are recorded, the average gap between death and publication is approximately 10.1 years.
This delay matters for claimants in two ways. First, it means a recent death may not appear on the list for some time — so the absence of an estate on the list does not necessarily mean it will not appear eventually. Second, it means that even estates listed as recently added may have dates of death going back several years, leaving less time within the 30-year window than the publication date might suggest.
Under section 26 of the Limitation Act 1980, no claim to a bona vacantia estate can be brought more than 30 years after the date of death. This is an absolute cutoff — not extendable even in cases where the claimant only recently discovered their potential entitlement. If you are researching a family name and believe you may be entitled to an estate from the early 1991s or before, you should begin gathering evidence without delay. For a full guide to what the Bona Vacantia list contains and how to make a claim, see our dedicated guide.
The list includes estates from several decades. Some entries date back to the 1970s and 1980s. Because the 30-year claim window is absolute, the oldest entries may no longer be claimable — which is reflected in the “claim window closing” indicator in the table above.
Based on records in the FindMyLegacy database, the average gap between date of death and publication on the list is several years. The Treasury Solicitor must first establish that no relatives are known and that the estate has formally passed to the Crown — a process that takes time, particularly for complex estates.
Yes. The absence of an estate from the current list does not mean it will not appear. If you believe a relative died without a will and without known family, add their surname to your FindMyLegacy watchlist — you will receive an email the moment a new matching estate is published.
Section 26 of the Limitation Act 1980 sets an absolute 30-year limit from the date of death. This cannot be extended, even if you only recently learned of the estate. If an entry on the list shows a date of death more than 30 years ago, no claim can be made regardless of how strong the family connection is.
Search the full Bona Vacantia list for free and add surnames to your watchlist so you are alerted to any new entries.
Data in this article is drawn from the FindMyLegacy database, sourced from the UK Government Legal Department Bona Vacantia Division. Figures reflect the current state of the list and are updated as new estates are added. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.