It is interesting to think about the effects this may have.

Lucky Germany?

Shannon Roberts

• With the number of people dying with no children or relatives on the rise, Germany is facing a potentially lucrative conundrum.  The State is proving the only heir for a growing number of deceased persons.
• DW reports that in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany, the ‘fiscal legacies department’ dealt with 96 inheritances in 2001.  That had increased to 246 by 2011 and the department expects that the figure could rise to 300 for the first time ever this year.
• The court is responsible for overseeing a person's estate when there is noone else appointed to do so.  If the court determines that it is satisfied that there are no heirs, then the state is legally obliged to take responsibility for whatever inheritance there is.  This is not always beneficial to the state – ultimately taxpayers – because sometimes inheritances include only dilapidated property which must be dealt with somehow or even debts.  However, in other cases, it might include large amounts of money, boats, and expensive property.

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