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We were also recently contacted by Kemp & Associates (in Utah) about the estate of a deceased relative in Florida.

Kemp & Associates is not a law firm despite using correspondence that gives that impression.  They are an 'heir hunting' firm only and have no ability to represent anyone in probate legal proceedings.

Probate records are public record.  When someone passes without a will to provide for the distribution of their estate, it passes 'intestate', the court begins to search for heirs, and when all are discovered....the estate is disbursed then among them.

When these probate records are filed and become public, Kemp & Associates researches and attempts to discover and engage all possible heirs before the courts do through repeated unsolicited letters and phone calls.    What they offer:  In exchange for their 'services' and without revealing any financial information about the estate itself, they offer to help you make yourself known to the court for a percentage of your share of the estate.  In our case, 15% (of what?  We don't know unless we sign).  They employ  well-crafted pressure statements in their attempt to retrieve signed Agreements with use of language that sounds legal...official...FedEx delivered correspondence implying urgency and stressing the importance of signing and returning their Agreement quickly to avoid losing their share to the State or other relatives.  If you don't respond, they send more letters....continue to make phone calls.  If you do sign their Agreement they will simply high are an attorney for a nominal cost and make sure that your information is provided to the probate court in which the estate has been filed.  How much is that worth to you?  

The reality?  You don't need Kemp & Assoc to help you make yourself known in a probate estate case.  Albeit legal, their heavy handed non-disclosure approach with the purpose of obtaining a large 'finders fee' out of your family member's estate makes it unethical in the opinion of many.  Perhaps you didn't know of the estate and Kemp did in fact, do you a favor by letting you know.  *high five and thanks to Kemp* and let's move on.  You have other choices if you take a deep breath a look further:  Research the probate records online in that county, state probate court or CALL THEM.  The records are public.  Order a copy from the court.  Contact the attorney on record or curator listed and let them known you may have a claim to the estate.  They will appreciate the help as it reduces their obligation to search and search and search for you.  What will it cost you?  Likely nothing but the cost of ordering the court documents and a few phone calls.  No traveling.  No up front costs.  Just plain old-fashioned communication.

Still feeling unsure if you can handle it?  Here's another choice:  Contact a probate attorney directly in that area and ask them to look into it on your behalf for a set fee.  Any one of them would be happy to assist as that is what they do and I guarantee you it will be a LOT less than 15-33% of the total estate.   Probate attorneys are bound by reasonable fees associated with such services in each state.  Kemp & Associates IS NOT.  Their 15-33% for non-legal hunting fees compares to 1-3% probate attorney fees in most states.  Attorneys will also disclose the estate value so you know what you're agreeing to when they propose their fees.

Good luck and no....we did NOT sign anything with Kemp & Associates.  Result:  Probate is disbursing our share anyway and we get to keep all of it.

Want to read even more about them?

http://www.heirsearch.com/Heir_Search_Article ... -85-DB-2012.pdf

I was contacted by another affiliation with kemp from NYC and he knew more about my family than I did..I am wondering ..since I have had no luck contacting ANY family in Italy how they managed to find this so called inheritance of millions?? With a family this size..I would be lucky enough after they suck the life out of me..to buy a pair of shoes out of pay less..funny pay less?? This company takes a % and then you are left with enough for a happy meal..I have a big family...and well if there is one sibling that died..their kids get their share..whoopee all but a buck three eighty if they are lucky. I just want to know how they got ALL this information in the beginning..and how is it that ITALY contacted them?? Wow how Ironic..I am not paying out anything on this for a company that wants to connect me through my family tree.. This is how it goes..>> Grandparents came over on the boat..through Ellis Island without a pot to piss in..and left all behind never to hear from them again from Italy.. NO ONE mentioned anything about anyone being rich..so how is it ..that this Kemp company comes out of left field knowing all this stuff..Frankly You just can't miss what YOU never had..I am so not into this pyramid scam I did that once..and I never put my hands on the stove again to get burned..If we have any inheritance coming to us..the proper authorities should contact us..otherwise I am so not into this BS..

OMG!  I just now receive one of these for my ex-husband!  I shouldn't have opened it, but the package said do not return.  I'm going to shred it up.  He's in prison and you would think a good attorney would find that out.

told me I was left a good amount of money and they got all the papers and everything they told I had to do then called and said sorry wrong person2yrs later !!!!!

You are relaying Kempis advertising message. Probate court will appoint an administrator. Admin will find you, or hire search firms to find heirs.  Best part, the court can adjust fees falling within estate admin, but kemp and their atty falls outside estate so fees in most states are not reviewed. They contribute very little and mostly get in the way.  I see other states taking action to limit their excessive taking. Be an adult, do not sign with them.

So after getting a letter from a company similar to kemp  I thought it was a scam at first and I found this site.  Another cousin of mine who I'm close with signed it right away as did others.   I decided to follow your advice and found a lawyer in my old hometown where the "assets" were apparently being probated.  Ended up paying a little over 500 bucks out of pocket to the attorney which I thought was worth it considering how much it was, he ended up hiring a local genealogist who found the estate that they were  talking about for a cousin of my mother who I never knew and filed for me in the court.  I thought I was being so smart and beat these guys.   The court would never have found us cause the extent of their "search" was a small legal ad that none of us would have seen but the genealogist that my attorney hired found it after the fact.  Then a month later the court attorney  found a Will where my mothers cousin left all of her estate to St. Judes Hospital and her church.   So I and the family members got NOTHING.  Unfortunately  for me it cost me $500.  My other cousins who signed the original paperwork cost them nothing.  So your advice was NO GOOD.

Like I just posted below.   The estate that I had gotten a letter on would never have found us,  After I hired my own lawyer to try to beat this company out of their fee,  he told me that the attorney "administrator?" had already conducted a "search" for the heirs by placing a small ad in the legal notices.  None of my cousins would have ever seen the ad.  So dont be so sure that the "Estate will find you"  cause I was told this is often all they do.   I ended up losing out anyway because a will was found for the estate and my mothers cousin left all of her money to charity so no one got anything in the family.

I also received a call about a distant aunt. They said she died Dec. 2014, but I think she died back in the mid 1990s, that side of the family is now estranged but the more I pour over it, I am sure I remember visiting her house and such after she died. I think they are a scam.

Why were we told by a lady named Jamie that worked for Kemp and Associates that we had stocks and bonds and minor properties coming and never seen any of it.It has been 7 years since the last phone call or letter. Can you explain this??????

You don't listen very well "Locutis". The name you mean to be is "Locutus". Read and understand things first instead of complaining about them. Quite certain they didn't switch Decedent's on you. you misread and misunderstood. I'm aware of the process and aware of this company. To wit- No, the estate will not find you, they don't care about finding cousins once removed. The largest genealogical research library in the world is in Utah. I'm suspecting that's why they're there, and not because of their religious faith (I was contacted by this company 27 years ago when they were located in Florida). And yes, they receive a fee for what they do. It's called capitalism. The American way. Btw, you realize your moniker means you're a mindless, unthinking drone, right?

Can you tell me Mr Kraus why Kemp & Associates contacted my brother and I and told us the estate in question was very large and complicated,And we were also told there were minor properties,Stocks and bonds and more.That was 2008 and we havent heard from them since????

Since that poster, who I doubt is really that person, posted here in 2009, 7 years ago, I doubt he will see your question.

My Husband and his cousins received the first letter that informed them that they were the heirs to a relatives estate. That part is true, they said just sign the form and we will take 25% ( way to much) get your own lawyer in the state where the Estate is located.
So not one person signed this paper, so they sent out a letter telling each sibling that their siblings already signed the papers and that they need to get theirs signed or lose their part of the estate. Flat out lies!! No one signed it. The letter was read by an Lawyer/prosecuting Attorney in our area and said do not respond to this letter. Someone does not even know enough to write a proper letter. Check with a local Lawyer, and they should tell you to hire a Lawyer in the State where the Estate is located. No one should charge you anywhere near 25%.  Make sure you use an Estate Lawyer, not one that deals with other issues. The estate will be settled much faster and less expensive.

Hi, Estate Admin. I received one of these letters and I agree with you that I would rather not sign with the middle man to take my money but what is the alternative. I never knew the relatives in question other than their names being familiar. I don't even know what state they were in for sure. Where do I search. I looked up my name in the unclaimed websites to no avail.
Thanks!

This story was just in the news.  It appears that Kemp & Associates and their president were just indicted and charged criminally after a big FBI Investigation.  http://www.sltrib.com/home/4249645-155/utah-c ... d-with-criminal

Wow.  These guys, Kemp& Associates were just charged by the feds.  Not Good!
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/heir-location- ... location-scheme

Agree with all of this.  They rush out FedEx packages and hurry you to sign.  Sure signs of a scam.  We caught them in lies about others signing also.  Do the research yourself or hire a local attorney.

Actually, my family was contacted by Kemp & Associates about two years ago regarding a deceased relative who left an estate. They would not tell us who it was nor any details about the estate unless we all signed off on an agreement where Kemp would collect 1/3 of whatever they collected. Fortunately, unaware to us, a trustee had been appointed by the court to settle the estate and all family members were notified by the trustee of a cousin's death. Kemp was forced to bow out of the picture and family members received their inheritance minus minimal administrative fees and we are now waiting for final payout on the estate. At first I thought Kemp might be a scam, but they do provide a service, just at an exorbitant fee . I can't comment about the allegations in this article.