For savers, the merger bonus will be worth 5.75% of either their total balance at the close of business on September 11, 2006, the day before the merger was announced; or of their total balance on Friday, August 24.

Payments will average £445, and will be distributed September 17, 2007. Note Nationwide members are not eligible to receive a windfall.

Also, on 31 October 2007, Nationwide Building Society, the UK’s second largest savings provider, announced that it will be launching a campaign to reunite 24,000 members with money held in unused accounts with the Society. Nationwide has approximately £42 million in dormant accounts!

Customers who would like to reactivate a dormant account can do so by visiting their local branch with their passbook or card or, if these are lost, proof of identity. You may also submit an online claim form requesting account records to be searched – see below.

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The realised value of such assets is paid by the QLTR into the Scottish Consolidated Fund for use of the Scottish Executive on behalf of the people of Scotland.

► For a current list of unclaimed advertised estates fallen to the Crown in Scotland go to: Estates Fallen to the Crown 

Note:  From 1 January 2008, unclaimed estates will be removed from this list 10 years after the date of death, or 2 years after date of first advertisement in the Edinburgh Gazette, whichever is the later. The QLTR will accept claims only within 10 years of date of death or 2 years after the first advertisement, whichever is the later.

Any blood relative of a person listed below who wishes to claim that person’s estate must apply to the Commissary Department of the Sheriff Court in the area in which the person lived, for appointment as Executor Dative. The Commissary Department will advise on how to obtain Confirmation, and explain the legal duties of an Executor Dative. Once Confirmation is obtained, that document should be forwarded to The QLTR Unit, which will pay out the estate funds to the Executor named in the Confirmation.

Scotland Crown Office Unclaimed Estates
The QLTR Unit Crown Office 25 Chambers Street Edinburgh, EH1 1LA Tel: 0844 5613899 - (General Enquiries) Fax: 0844 5614276 Email: coqltr@copfs.gsi.gov.uk http://www.crownoffice.gov.uk/	Unclaimed Estate Search Scotland Unclaimed Estates Tel: 0844 5613805 or 0844 561 4468 - (Bona Vacantia including Dissolved Company Cases) Tel: 08445613806, 0844 5613802 or 0844 561 4468 - (Ultimus Haeres Cases) Tel: 0844 5613806, 0844 5613805 , 0844 561 4468 - (Treasure Trove)

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Estimates are around £3 billion is owed to UK investors from unclaimed shares and dividends.

Companies House regulations stipulate that shares may not be cancelled if a holder cannot be traced; shares belong to the registered holder or rightful heir. If authorised by its articles, however, a company may retain any dividends that remain unclaimed after a certain period, generally 12 years.

It is estimated that, on average, between 2% and 5% of a company’s shareholders have either moved from the address to which the company sends correspondence, or have died.

To track down lost  shares the first step should be to contact the company’s share registrar, in cases where the company name is known. There are three main registrars in the UK – Capita, Lloyds TSB / Equiniti and ComputerShare. For contact information see below.

Registrars can also assist in tracing the history of the company including and mergers, takeovers or name changes that have occurred over the years. If the company changed name, new certificates can be issued. The registrar can also tell you if there are any unclaimed dividend payments or merger consideration.

Sometimes, when a company gets taken over, shares become ‘unconditional’. This means the company retains most of the shares and shareholders must sell. If they do not, the shareholder’s name goes on a dissenters’ register and will remain there for 12 years, during which time you may make a claim.

After 12 years have passed since the takeover, the money is transferred across to the Accountant General of the Supreme Court. Claims after the 12 year period has passed must be submitted here. Note that any unclaimed dividend payments unclaimed after 12 years will be lost.

The Guildhall Library in London is a specialist library focusing on the financial district which keeps detailed records on the history of all companies listed on the stock market, if the registrar is unable to provide the information you need.

For companies incorporated in England & Wales
The Registrar of Companies Companies House Crown Way Cardiff CF14 3UZ DX33050 Cardiff Tel: 0870 3333636 http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk

For companies incorporated in Scotland
The Registrar of Companies Companies House 37 Castle Terrace Edinburgh EH1 2EB DX ED235 Edinburgh 1 LP – 4 Edinburgh 2 Tel: 0870 3333636 http://www.companieshouse.gov.uk

Note: Perhaps the largest source of unclaimed shares is windfall shares still unclaimed arising from financial services firms that have demutualised over the last ten years. Nearly £1bn in windfall shares belonging to more than half a million people remains unclaimed.

Scottish Life demutualised in 2001 and has issued a final call to around 15,000 former members who have yet to claim around £7.5m, with the minimum payout worth at least £500. Standard Life has 222,000 ex-members who have yet to claim 83 million shares worth a total of around £261m, amounting to 4.2% of the company. Friends Provident demutualised in July 2001, but still has an estimated 140,000 policyholders who have yet to make a claim for windfalls worth an average of £1,200. Unclaimed shares were converted to cash in 2004 and held for future claimants. Scottish Widows has more than 59,000 untraced members entitled to unclaimed compensation totalling £153m following the company’s acquisition by Lloyds TSB in March 2000. Halifax still has unclaimed windfalls worth £158m from its demutualisation in 1997 and estimates that 75,000 former members have yet to come forward!

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To search for unclaimed holdings of stock and interest payments contact the Registrar with as much of the following information as possible:

• Name of holding
• Registered address of holding
• Holder Account/Folio number
• Type of stock believed to be held
• Any certificates held relating to the stock

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If you believe you may be entitled to assets owed deceased family members go to:  Unclaimed Estate Search.

There are various other kinds of Unclaimed Funds in Court, also called Estates in Chancery or Money in Chancery.

These include: monies paid in under civil litigation and other proceedings dealt with in County Courts and the High Court where no transaction has taken place for a period of 10 years (5 years before 1st December, 2000); awards of the Family Court; compensation from the Civil Injuries Compensation Board; compensation under Compulsory Purchase Acts, in cases where either the ownership of the property is unknown or the owner refuses to accept it; legacies, where missing heirs cannot be found; money lodged for dissenting shareholders; and the net proceeds of sale from mortgage foreclosures when the mortgagor cannot be traced.

The Court Funds Office also receives lodgments of money under County Court suitors’ actions (since 1983) and Queen’s Bench Division actions. If no transaction takes place for a specified period after the lodgment is made, the accounts become eligible for transfer to the dormant funds.

The Dormant Funds Index for all of the unclaimed balance cases can be searched at the public counter of the Court Funds Office. This service is free, with only a small fee for printouts.

You may also apply in writing  to the Chancery section of the Court Funds Office, and they will perform a search on your behalf. Write: Chancery/Family Section, Court Funds Office, 22 Kingsway, London WC2B 6LE.

In order to perform the search the Court Funds Office requires the following information:

• The title of the Court proceedings.
• The name of the Court.
• The name(s) of the person(s) who lodged the money into Court.
• For whose benefit the money was lodged.
• Relevant dates.
• The assumed link between you and any of the above.

Note: Court Fund Office records are confidential. They will not be disclosed to anyone who cannot produce evidence of beneficial interest. If a fund in the Index looks relevant to the claimant, the claimant must show evidence that they are entitled to all or part of the fund. The claimant must prove this to the satisfaction of the Court that dealt with the case (the Court of Origin).

The Court Funds Division cannot pay out any money from the fund until the Court of Origin makes an Order for payment. The main sources of evidence are: Orders of the High Court and County Courts, wills, probates and letters of administration; birth, marriage and death registers; and census returns.

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£1.8bn in lost investments that can be searched by National Savings and Investments include: • British Savings Bonds • Capital Bonds • Children’s Bonus Bonds • Deposit Bonds • FIRST Option Bonds • Fixed Rate • Savings Bonds • Income Bonds • Investment Accounts • ISA or Direct ISA • Ordinary Account • Pensioner’s Bonds • Premium Bonds • Save As You Earn • Savings Certificates • Yearly Plans; in addition to old Post Office savings accounts and savings certificates.

The Unclaimed Prize database currently holds £56,223,325. Five savers still haven’t claimed £100,000 prizes. Many prizes are owed heirs of deceased relatives and owners who received Premium Bonds long ago as a child, and have since forgotten of their existence. here is no time limit on claims, which are paid with interest.

To search for unclaimed premium bonds and prizes complete the form below: 

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