German Inheritance Law

My German wife and I have a property in Germany. If she dies then I believe that I get half of what she owns and her family get the other half. Can anybody verify that this is the case?

 

Be very careful, check the will and familien stamm buch!!My 2nd wife shafted me good and proper we both owned a large house in minden, on her death I was lead to believe I would receive half the house, only to find out my wife had put a note in the family stammbuch, in which and don't ask me how this is legal , she left the whole house to the grandson,I fought this for years in the german courts,to no avail, but vengeance is mine,I had her cremated and her ashes put into an Hourglass,the grandchildren and greatgrandkids, love giving the Witchdust a shake or two when they come to visit!!

 

Are you looking to maintain full and exclusive benefit of the property?

If you own the property outright you should look at setting up a company that you and your wife are directors of. Then transfer the house to the ownership of the company. That way no person owns the house.

You get around the people dying thing by having directors sign undated letters of resignation. Its a common enough practice among the wealthy to avoid property and inheritance taxes, simply transferring "directorships".

 

The German inheritance law is a nightmare, you need to ensure that the title to your property is shared, don't assume it is because you are married! You also need to be aware that yours or your wives legacies will partly be divided amongst the relatives/descendants according to the "Pflichtteile" regardless of what you put in your will. I'm not sure of how it's shared out, I think it varies according to the state you are in, but it destroys families and makes a lot of widows and widowers homeless here.

There is one loophole, the "Berliner testament" in which you both agree to leave everything to each other for your lifetimes. You can download a copy of the simple declaration and fill it in with red crayon and finger paint if you wish and you can now deposit it in a free gubment web repository cutting out the vile banks and hungry legal wolves.

If your estate extends to valuable property, land etc. then you should engage a Notar and do it well proper like!

I did!

 

I believe this is also the basis of an old joke against those dour Saxons: IIRC it comes something like this; 'Mama, why are Grandad's ashes in the egg timer/hourglass? We are Saxons and Saxons must work!' My German friends assured me it was funnier in German!

 

My great grandparents lived in Germany before being relocated. What's the address of the property? - I might have a bettter claim than you.

 

You never got round to posting the phot of fhe egg timer nig

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I'm intrigued at how you managed this, as by German law, the ashes have to be buried as per a normal funeral. They are not permitted to be taken home as in the UK.

Not saying it didn't happen as the law may have been different then, but as I have worked for a local funeral company, it has never happened during my time and the old boys have never said it was possible either.

 

You really are the Magic Well of all Knowledge arent you?

Keep going then you might , just might get as boring as Tropper.

"Relocated", were your Grandparents Goldsmiths?

 

both my brother and I , signed a paper that we would both wait for our Pflichtanteil , till my mum dies , and that the house is hers. this has now sho my brother in the foot as he would like his , as he has pissed all his money up the wall ,and needs the money to set up home with his floozy .
House will go to me as we took over the outstanding kredit on it , and my mum can decide in her will how high my brothers Pflichtanteil will be , which me and the husband will have to pay to my brother when my mum dies . all very confusing

 

Get yourself a lawyer in Germany

oh and look into giving the property as a present or summit like that , as you might get around the tax that way, might actually be easier to just sell it and invest the money otherwise

 

seeing how my wife died in warrington,there was no problems with her ashes, when I work out how to post a picture on here all will be revealed

 

DVEV - Deutsche Vereinigung für Erbrecht und Vermögensnachfolge e.V. | Wir machen Erbrecht!

 

Ah!! Thought she'd died over here the way you worded it.