Moldova reforms inheritance law for citizens
A few days after President Maia Sandu announced the simplification of the inheritance process, PAS deputies introduced a bill today to amend the existing law.
These include reinstating the surviving spouse in the first tier of inheritance and removing the presumption of inheritance acceptance. The document will be subject to public consultations.
The authors state that the current rules are overly bureaucratic and use complex legal language, making them difficult to understand, especially for those without legal training. A controversial aspect is that the surviving spouse is no longer included in the first tier of inheritance, being forced to share the assets with distant relatives of the deceased.
"One situation that came to my attention involved a couple who lived together for 52 years without children. After the husband's death, the heirs became his siblings, six of whom were deceased out of eight siblings. Each of the deceased siblings had 5-6 children. Consequently, the house they built together now has around 30 heirs," recounts PAS deputy Artemie Cătănoi.
The bill provides for the removal of the presumption of inheritance acceptance, meaning that heirs will have to explicitly express their intention to accept the inheritance, avoiding situations where a person becomes an heir without being aware of the resulting obligations. In addition, the inheritance acceptance period will be extended from six to 12 months.
"This bill aims to simplify procedures so that citizens can inherit more easily and benefit from less costly procedures," emphasizes PAS deputy Igor Chiriac.
It's worth noting that last week, President Maia Sandu announced plans to simplify the inheritance process and make it more financially accessible, following numerous requests from citizens during her regional visits. According to the president, after the 2018 legislative amendment, the process of resolving inheritance issues has become more costly and complicated for citizens.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
