What type of property is involved?
Unclaimed inheritances and entitlements for private individuals can be of many different types, including real estate (houses and land), investments (shares and bonds), dormant bank accounts, intellectual property rights (royalties on books or music) and long term custody items (valuables left for safe keeping with banks or solicitors). Corporate assets tend to be purely financial.

How does it come to be unclaimed?
There are many different reasons, but most commonly the original property is in the hands of a bank, a firm of solicitors, a business or some other organisation who have been holding it on behalf of the original owner. Typically, (but not always) the original owner has died and the executors of the estate are unaware of the particular property entitlement. By the time the custodians attempt to make contact with their old client, the line of communication has been lost. All reasonable efforts will be made to locate the person or their representatives but there is a limit to how much time and effort a bank or similar body will put into tracing missing people.

How does Worthington Clark Pty Ltd become involved?
In some cases Worthington Clark Pty Ltd is invited by the organisations holding the property to see if they can trace the original owner or that person’s heirs or beneficiaries. In other cases the company will identify an asset which appears to be unclaimed or abandoned and attempt to make contact with the original owner to offer their services.

Terms and Conditions?
The terms and conditions are set out in the fee agreement. They are designed to protect both the clients’ position and the company’s. If there is anything that is not clear, please do not hesitate to contact Worthington Clark Pty Ltd, or a solicitor or accountant.