# South African inheritance



## danslenoir (Oct 18, 2010)

Hi,

My grandmother's sister moved to South Africa from the UK 50-odd years ago, and unfortunately died in a nursing home back in May.

She made comments to my UK resident grandmother, who was her only surviving sister, which suggested that in the event of her death my grandmother would receive some of her estate, which as far as we know included at least one property which she owned and lived in before moving to the nursing home she died in for the last year or so of her life.

After my grandmother had been informed her sister had died she sent some flowers over but has heard nothing since. She doesn't even know the name of the nursing home, and only has her sister's previous address. I know my grandmother doesn't want to seem like a gold-digger, but she isn't very well off and could really do with some money if she is entitled to it, as her sister suggested she might be before she died.

Does anyone know if there is a way for her to access her sister's will and confirm whether or not her sister left her anything?


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## MaidenScotland (Jun 6, 2009)

Hi and welcome to the forum

If you have been left anything in a will I think they have a legal duty to try and find you.
I would presume if your grandmothers sister had left anything to her then she would have put her name and address in the will.

Maiden


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

MaidenScotland said:


> Hi and welcome to the forum
> 
> If you have been left anything in a will I think they have a legal duty to try and find you.
> I would presume if your grandmothers sister had left anything to her then she would have put her name and address in the will.
> ...


I fully agree MaidenScotland, the executor of the Will should contact those mentioned in the will.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

All estates have to be reported to the master of the supreme Court (High court?) of South Africa
I would suggest you make some phone calls and get an email address, 
you will need information such as her full names and birth date and married name, and even that may not help you.
Do you have any idea of where she lived? if so Google all the nursing Homes /hospices in the area and phone them,


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## Johanna (Apr 13, 2009)

danslenoir said:


> Hi,
> 
> 
> After my grandmother had been informed her sister had died she sent some flowers over but has heard nothing since.


Where and why did your grandmother send the flowers to and to whom?
It may be a good point to start from?


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## danslenoir (Oct 18, 2010)

Thanks for the rapid replies 

Yes, I would have thought the executor of the will would have been in contact too should my grandmother be a beneficiary.

My grandmother's live-in carer at her previous residence (before she moved to the nursing home) was the one who informed my grandmother of her sister's death via a telephone call, although my grandmother said she didn't really understand her due to poor hearing and the carer's heavy saffa accent. The carer tried to call my aunt (the contact my grandmother left with the carer) a few months ago but unfortunately she was in the garden at the time and the carer did not leave a message or number to call back on and has not called back since.

I'm not sure how my grandmother sorted out the flowers, although I know for a fact she doesn't even know the name of the nursing home and doesn't have any contact details for the carer.

My only concern is that being in a fragile state of both physical and mental health, my grandmother's sister might have been co-erced into changing her will. Of course, my grandmother's sister may well have left her entire estate to her carer or charity for all I know, but it would seem a little odd to remove my grandmother from her will after suggesting that my grandmother would benefit in some way financially if she died.

That's why I was hoping there was perhaps some way of obtaining a copy of the will, as you can here in the UK by making an application to the relevant probate office.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

danslenoir said:


> Thanks for the rapid replies
> 
> Yes, I would have thought the executor of the will would have been in contact too should my grandmother be a beneficiary.
> 
> ...


There is.
write to the master of the Supreme Court, enclose name, birth date, date of death and address.
Its South Africa.
you will also have to satisfy that the writer is a genuine relative.
probably a geanological certificate from a census showing that they are sisters will suffice initially.

if she died intestate (without a will) the master will appoint an executor who will gain a portion of the estate if it is greater than ZAR125,000
if she had an estate and a will, the executor will attempt to contact the heirs.
if he has no address an ad will be placed in the London Times asking for relatives as well as the local papers.

How come your family dont even have an address for the old lady?(edit: see that you have an address, climb on a plane and go and put some flowers on the old dears grave, and do some research then)
what makes you think the old lady was co-erced into changing her will?


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## tcrocker (Nov 9, 2010)

*Obtaining a copy of the will*



danslenoir said:


> Thanks for the rapid replies
> 
> Yes, I would have thought the executor of the will would have been in contact too should my grandmother be a beneficiary.
> 
> ...


A Will is not public record in the UK until it is has been through the probate procedure. However by that time it is too late to contest and very expensive to over turn. No doubt the same is true for South Africa, if you are sure that you have an interest you must act quickly. Don't wait for a will to be public record before taking action


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