What happens when someone with no family dies?

[Lindy2]

This is rather sad but someone I know has recently died. They were quite a recluse and had no immediate family.

They are currently at the undertakers and the Police have locked up the house. What happens next?

There may be a Will inside the house but it would have to be searched for. Who can go in and turn off the gas, electricity and make sure everything is ok inside the house etc?

The person who the deceased would have chosen to sort everything out is a friend not a relative so they can't really go into the house.

You say no 'immediate' family. Might there be more distant relatives?

In the absence of a will or next of kin the Council are likely to have to take responsibility. The link below is an overview located via Google.

https://www.milnerslaw.co.uk/dying-without-a-next-of-kin-what-happens

If they had any pets, then access to the house needs to happen fairly quickly, so they can be looked after.

Hopefully the police would have checked.

There may be some very distant relatives but it would be something like an heir hunters situation to trace them.

The pet situation is also complicated. The person fed a couple of stray cats and it's possible 1 is inside. Food is being put through the letter box just incase - but that's not a long term solution. The Police did look but as a cat owner I know how well a scared cat can hide. A quick check wouldn't have been enough.

Thank you for the link. I'll pass it on to the friend.

The cat is definitely still in the house. It's been spotted.

The Police and RSPCA are arranging access. The poor thing has been locked in there a while.

Council.

If they can't find any relatives at all then after a period of time the estate goes to the Crown.

Once the cat is rescued I guess it will then be for the Council to take over.

If the person had no family or friends but left a will, it's likely that they will have appointed a solicitor as their executor, in which case they will take on the responsibility of looking after the property and selling assets etc. The police will almost certainly have searched for a will already. If there is no will, then it's the council, as others have said.

I hope the cat is OK.

In cases of bona vacantia (no relatives and no will) the money doesn't go to the council it goes to the Crown. If there are possibly distant relatives the council will appoint a solicitor as executor (chargeable to the estate) and try to find them. If none can be found that is when the Crown can claim it.