Absolutely. I knew a gay railroad engineer who had accumulated six older Victorian houses and filled each with expensive antiques. His co-workers and friends didn't think he had any relatives because he never talked about any relatives and clearly were never visited by any of them.

When he died, he all of a sudden had about 30 relatives, all clamoring for the antiques. He had no partner or will when he died, so some of these relatives received the antiques and houses.

The lesson: have a will.