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Inheritance from Germany

Been asked if I am willing to be sole heir to elderly person in Germany. I am a UK resident and not related to her. Anything I need to check and avoid? Estate is barely 50K. She has no debts currently and enjoys fairly good health. She has no relatives after divorcing thirty years ago with no children.

Comments

  • Nicklondon wrote: »
    Been asked if I am willing to be sole heir to elderly person in Germany. I am a UK resident and not related to her. Anything I need to check and avoid? Estate is barely 50K. She has no debts currently and enjoys fairly good health. She has no relatives after divorcing thirty years ago with no children.
    No obvious problem but how and why were you chosen?
  • Savvy_Sue
    Savvy_Sue Posts: 47,779 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    I'd want to investigate how inheritance law works in Germany, and how straightforward it would be to deal with this.

    I am presuming (as I am sure YM is also) that you do at least know this person, it's not an email offer from some German person of noble birth who wishes on her deathbed ...
    Signature removed for peace of mind
  • Yorkshireman99
    Yorkshireman99 Posts: 5,470 Forumite
    edited 16 October 2017 at 6:28AM
    Savvy_Sue wrote: »
    I'd want to investigate how inheritance law works in Germany, and how straightforward it would be to deal with this.

    I am presuming (as I am sure YM is also) that you do at least know this person, it's not an email offer from some German person of noble birth who wishes on her deathbed ...
    Indeed! I was thinking it was unlikely to be a scam for such a small sum unless there has been a request for money. However one can never be sure. As far as German succession law it is totally different from the U.K. and debts can be inherited as well as assets. The OP needs to give a bit more detail. THis link gives an explantion of German Intestacy rules.

    https://www.german-probate-lawyer.com/en/detail/article/intestate-succession-in-germany-1750.html
  • Brighty
    Brighty Posts: 755 Forumite
    Be careful. If you accept and there are debts you don't know of, you'll be liable to pay them, even if there aren't enough assets in the estate. It could be that a good few people have been approached already and declined (perhaps they know something you don't)
    If there is anything left to inherit, you will pay inheritance tax of 30% on anything over 20k euros
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