Case Histories

Donald Hunt — Los Angeles
Donald Hunt left an estate valued at nearly half a million dollars when he passed away. Unfortunately, he left no clues as to surviving heirs or relatives. IPR determined that Mr. Hunt was a native of Illinois who had come to California as a young man during the Great Depression. He remained a long-time resident of Los Angeles, living somewhat as a recluse and having little or no contact with relatives. IPR's investigation into Mr. Hunt's family history ultimately revealed over fifty surviving relatives, one of whom turned out to be our most illustrious client, a former President of the United States.

Robert Cairns — Laguna Niguel
Robert Cairns passed away leaving an estate valued in excess of three-quarters of a million dollars. Following his death, relatives of his predeceased wife took prompt action toward claiming his estate, alleging Mr. Cairns had no blood-relatives of his own. They would surely have succeeded in this endeavor, except for the fact that IPR performed extensive research of Mr. Cairns' background. IPR subsequently determined that Mr. Cairns was survived by five nieces, all of whom had never met their uncle. As a result, these ladies enjoyed a sizeable inheritance, which would have otherwise been lost to them.

George Rupp — New Jersey
George Rupp was a long-time resident of the small community of Rivervale. He passed away there leaving a sizeable estate with no known heirs. Mr. Rupp had lived in that small town since he was a child; but he lived a reclusive life and left no clues with regard to family. The local authorities went to great lengths to locate relatives but were unsuccessful. Eventually, IPR became involved in the search and successfully located numerous cousins living in various parts of the country. An added bonus in this case was that IPR brought together two sisters, both heirs in this estate, who had been estranged for over twenty years--there can be much more to an inheritance than just dollars and cents.

Bertram Webber — England
Bertram Webber was a native of England, who emigrated to the U.S. with his wife at the end of World War II. Upon leaving England, they cut ties with their homeland and lost touch with relatives there. As a result, when Bertram passed away decades later his heirs were unknown. IPR conducted a lengthy investigation to locate relatives, which spanned three years and included numerous trips to England for on-site research. After a tedious search, IPR was able to identify several family members in England and successfully recovered the estate on their behalf.

Anton Delich — Argentina
The estate of Anton Delich, consisting of a collection of sizeable assets, remained abandoned with no heirs. IPR's research revealed that Mr. Delich was born in Yugoslavia, and his family had fled their war-torn homeland at the end of World War II. The family resided in Egypt for a time and eventually settled in Argentina. Anton later immigrated to the U.S. where he remained the rest of his life. When he died decades later, it was believed he might have been survived by a niece in Argentina. IPR's investigation, which included on-site research in South America, revealed the alleged niece was actually a sister, and she had predeceased Anton with no issue. However, IPR also determined that Anton had another deceased sister, who was survived by two children living in Argentina. As a result of IPR's efforts, these heirs were able to inherit the estate of their long-lost uncle, a man they never met and who died thousands of miles away.

Victor Ebersole — Spain
IPR was pleased to recover several unclaimed investment accounts for Maria Vila of Spain several years ago. However, it was quite a long journey to achieve this end. Ms. Vila is the niece of the late Juana Capplonch of Spain, who was the wife of the late Juan Capplonch of Mexico, who was the father of the late Antonia Ebersole of Spain, who was the wife of the late Victor Ebersole of the United States. Victor Ebersole was an American citizen who moved to Spain in the 1960's leaving these accounts behind. Mr. Ebersole later died in Spain, effectively abandoning these funds forever. IPR's investigation, which included on-site research in both Spain and Mexico, brought these funds back to Mr. Ebersole's estate and ultimately to his rightful heir--more than twenty years after his death.