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International inheritances

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My mother, a French citizen, passed away in Germany, where she had been living for several years. Which law applies to her estate?

It depends. If your mother has not drawn up a will in which she chooses her national law, the European Inheritance Regulation (n°650/2012 of July 4, 2012) must be applied. This regulation mentions that the applicable law is the of the country in which the deceased resided. Your mother's estate…
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I found out that all the heirs of my tenant who died 6 months ago have decided to renounce his estate. The apartment is still furnished with furniture from my former tenant. Can I get rid of it?

No. A landlord cannot himself recover the accommodation and get rid of the furniture of his deceased tenant. When there is no known heir and if the rental contract has ended, the owner must first obtain a court decision (article 1324 of the Code of Civil Procedure). The costs of…
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I just found out that my father passed away 12 years ago. We no longer had any contact due to a family disagreement. Can I claim my share in the estate after so many years?

In principle, you lose the status of heir if you have not opted within the period of 10 years from the opening of the succession, from the date of death. You are then deemed to renounce this succession (article 780 al. 1 and 2 of the Civil Code) However…
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My widowed mother passed away 15 years ago, and my brother and I never went to a notary to settle her estate. We want to sell her house, but a friend told me that we no longer have the authority to do so. Is this true?

Yes. Upon a person’s death, their heirs have 10 years to declare whether they accept or reject the estate (Article 780, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code). After this period, they are considered to have renounced the estate (Article 780, paragraph 2 of the Civil Code) and therefore no longer…
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Under a future protection mandate established by the notary of my father (who has since been diagnosed with Alzheimer's), I have become his agent. Is it possible for me to account for my management to my own notary?

No. When the mandate is established in authentic form, the law requires the agent to render his accounts and all "useful supporting documents" to the drafting notary of said mandate (article 491 of the Civil Code).
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