I have been renting an apartment, and my landlord has passed away. His heirs want to sell the property. What happens to my lease?

The lease continues with the heirs (Article 724 of the Civil Code). If they want to sell the property unoccupied, they must give notice within the timeframes set by Article 15 of Law No. 89-462 of 6 July 1989. Otherwise, the property can be sold with the tenant in place.
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I have a photocopy of a handwritten will. Can I use it as proof?

No. A photocopy of handwritten will is not valid because it was not written by the testator’s own hand, as required by law (Article 970 of the Civil Code). Courts have confirmed this (e.g., Cass. 1st Civ., 29 May 2013, No. 12-17.870).
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My husband passed away. He had no children, was an only child, and his parents are deceased. We were married under a separation of property regime. Who is entitled to inherit?

A marriage contract governs the couple’s property during marriage, but not succession. In your case, and unless there is a will stating otherwise, the law provides that you inherit the entire estate (Article 757-2 of the Civil Code).
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My brother passed away and I am his sole heir. He didn’t own any property and had €4,000 in his bank account. Am I required to file an inheritance tax return?

Yes. The law requires you to file an inheritance tax return because you are a collateral-line heir and the estate’s value exceeds €3,000 (Article 800 of the French General Tax Code). The inheritance return must include all assets and liabilities of the estate and be submitted to the tax authorities…
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What happens if the signature of the authority appearing on the document is not listed in the signature database?

The public authority will be contacted to register the signature in the database within five working days from the receipt of the request. Under Ordinance No. 2020-192 of 4 March 2020 reforming the procedures for issuing legalisation and apostille, competence was transferred to the notariat. The organisation of this new…
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When is document legalisation required?

A document must be legalised when it is intended for use in a country that is not a signatory to the Hague Convention or to any international agreement waiving such formalities. The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs maintains an up-to-date table listing the formalities required according to the destination…
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