General FAQ

ProSearch operates Asset Reunification programmes on behalf of many of the UK's best known companies to reunite lost assets with their owners. We have over 30 years experience in the provision of Asset Reunification solutions to help eligible shareholders reunite their lost assets.

ProSearch are fully authorised by the company to contact and assist their shareholders who have lost assets.

These can range from lost shares, to cash payments such as dividends or proceeds which are due following a corporate action such as a takeover. We are registered at Companies House and with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) in relation to Data Protection. Additionally, we adhere to a full disclosure procedure, so customers are always advised as to which company investment this relates and does not make any up front charges; all fees are taken from the reunited entitlements.

You will see that we have web links to a number of our clients confirming that we have been appointed to run asset reunification programmes on their behalf. (Click here)

If you have any concerns or require any further information then please contact us.

Lost shareholders have generally either forgotten they own the shares or have become disconnected from their assets. Companies are committed to their shareholders to make every effort to return lost entitlements so use ProSearch to maximise the number of lost shareholders who can be traced, thereby maximising the value of entitlements we can return to shareholders, their dependants, descendants or any other named beneficiary who would be entitled.

The company may have lost contact with a shareholder or an asset may become 'lost' for a number of reasons, including:

• shareholders not notifying the Registrar or the Company of a change of address;
• beneficiaries or executors of an estate not being aware of the shareholding; and
• shareholders who simply forget about or are uncertain about their shareholdings.

When companies mail dividends to shareholders, some of the cheques do not get cashed. This is normally because the shareholder no longer lives at the address that they have on the register for them. Once records show that consecutive dividends have been sent, and remain uncashed, the shareholder is considered ‘gone away’ from the address on the share register. As a security measure, all mail can be suspended until the shareholder gets in touch with the Registrar or company.

Do not complete the form if you did not reside at, or use, the address(es) shown on the Verification Form.

If you have any concerns or require any further information then please contact us.

You should consider to take action and reunite your entitlement as soon as possible. If you take no action at all, you will not receive entitlements and where no contact has been made assets may ultimately be forfeited by the company for general corporate purposes, including charitable giving. Note: Dividends and shares held in a CSN are not subject to this forfeiture.

ProSearch has designed a voluntary service that provides an easy way of reuniting your entitlement and updating your details which commences with you completing and returning the Verification Form.

Alternatively, you can make your own arrangements to recover this entitlement from the Registrar for the Company. Please note that you may incur administration charges from the Registrar to reissue these payments.

You should consider to take action as quickly as possible as after a period of time you may no longer be able to reunite your assets.

We understand their are occasions where extensions to the deadline date showing on the Verification Form is required.

If you have any concerns or require any further information then please contact us.

​As part of our work, from time to time we need to make contact with people or organisations who we consider may have valuable information that may assist us in tracking down the person that we are looking for. Neighbours often keep in contact with each other and can help us with our search. We do not give out any information other than your last known address.

The company appointing ProSearch have agreed and authorised us to charge a reasonable administration fee for the research and processing work we have to carry out to assist investors to recover their entitlements.

The fee is set at a level that enables ProSearch to cover its costs whilst allowing all investors the opportunity to participate, irrespective of the size of their entitlement. The charges of a fee cover the work involved including data subject analysis, mailings, identity confirmation, validation against a number of reference sites, processing and support through our telephone helpline.

Details of the applicable fee you will be charged can be found within the Verification Form you should have received.

The cheque will be made payable to the first named holder and sent to the current address showing shown at the top of the Verification Form. The only exception to this is in the case of the holder being deceased. If the investor is deceased, we will pay the settlement cheque in the name of the first named Executor/Legal Representative named on the Grant of Probate/Administration.

​For legal reasons we require the signatures of all joint shareholders or executors. Please contact us if you think this is not going to be possible.

The settlement can only be issued by cheque in pound sterling. We cannot action or respond to any requests to pay proceeds to a bank/building society account.

Depending on the action you take, there may be tax consequences. ProSearch does not provide investment, financial or tax advice, so if you are in any doubt as to what action to take you should seek independent financial or tax advice.