Deceased Relative

[interele]

My wife has just been contacted by a tracing company about a long lost relative ( uncle ) that died about a month ago. They say that there has been no funeral as there was no next of kin. They were engaged by the council - presumably so they don't have to pay for a funeral. Would the council wait forever or do they give up after a period and do a public health funeral.

[bobbinwales]

Are you wanting the council to pay? I dont see how they can insist on having one paid for by family/freinds, benificiaries, and wont leave the body lying around for months while people try to avoid paying. There

[interele]

There appears to be a small estate that will cover cost plus a small extra. I was interested if at some point the council will just give up and 'dispose' of the body and give the money to the government.

[bobbinwales]

So no will and no executors presumerbly ? So would follow intestacy? Is that your wife? Does she or no-one in the family want to take responsibility, sort the estate and then give money to charity or goverment.

[ToraToraTora]

Just ignore and they'll do a paupers funeral.

[wolf63]

You are under no obligation to organise or pay for a funeral. Either ignore the letter or write back to them and tell them to arrange and pay for it themselves.

[Buenchico]

The law:
"It shall be the duty of a local authority to cause to be buried or cremated the body of any person who has died or been found dead in their area, in any case where it appears to the authority that no suitable arrangements for the disposal of the body have been or are being made otherwise than by the authority"
- s.46(1), Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1984/22/section/46

'Good practice guidance', provided by HM Government to local authorities:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance/public-health-funerals-good-practice-guidance
See, in particular, Section 2 about trying to contact next of kin, and 'Timescales', within Section 7.

[interele]

Yes and no. Strangely she had been trying to find him. We are quite 'happy' to sort things out. I was just curious as to how long the authorities keep bodies when they can't find relatives

[bobbinwales]

Bona Vacantia
The Bona Vacantia Division of the Government Legal Department administers the solvent estates of people domiciled in England or Wales who appear to have died without leaving a valid will or relatives entitled to share in their estate in priority to the Crown. Where local authorities believe this is the case, cases should be referred as soon as possible.

After an estate referral has been accepted and advertised on their website for approximately 90 days, if no entitled relatives have come forward, Bona Vacantia will then be able to receive invoices detailing a breakdown of any funeral and admin costs, along with confirmation if any of these have already been settled, for example from the bank.

[perseverer]

There are various firms who will try to trace relatives but that is more likely when the firm thinks there is a large enough estate to make the commision they charge to make the claim on the relatives' behalf enough to be worth their time and expense.
If this is your wife's uncle and she had been trying to find him and there is money to pay for a funeral, surely you would want to have some involvement?

[Hopkirk]

I agree with perseverer, the company wouldn't want to be involved unless there was a possibility that there was lots of mullah to be shared out.

[barry1010]

The company has been hired by the council, standard practice where there is no other reference of family