Germany forces elderly and disabled US citizen to pay debt of deceased relative

[LifeIsGood01]

Originally Posted by Joe90

I had the same issue with a dead uncle from Nigeria, who I hadn't even known existed. Fortunately I was able to pay $10000 into a Nigerian bank account, and the official who sent me the e-mail, was able to erase the $1000000 debt my late Nigerian uncle had accrued.

LOL I thought on similar terms of it being a scam.

[Brave New World]

The inheritance laws in Germany are very different to most nations and in my opinion not in the spirit of Article 8 of the ECHR which is the Right to Privacy and Family Life and Protocol 1 of the ECHR in respect of property and possesions. The situation is further complicated if the gentlemen in question is a US Citizen, as it's one thing to inform someone of inheritance but quite another to demand payment for debts accumulated by someone else under a foreign legal system, and to recover the debt the German Authorities would have to go through the US Courts, who may have a very different view regarding inheritance annd enforcement of such debts in relation to a US Citizen.

Basics of German Inheritance Law (German Probate) | Cross Channel Lawyers

German heirs are personally liable for all debts | Cross Channel Lawyers

How to renounce (disclaim) Inheritance in Germany | Cross Channel Lawyers

The easiest thing would be for a family member or friend to drive the gentlemen to Chicago and to sign the form, which I believe must be signed within six weeks.

[NxtGen]

Originally Posted by jojajn

The bottom line here is that a foreign country can force undue hardship on our citizens (elderly, sick, and disabled US citizen with a fixed income who must travel to Chicago to the German consulate to sign a denial of inheritance/debt) or else have a right in US courts to sue for collection.

This elderly person has been a citizen of the US for well over 50 years. He is not a citizen of Germany. The relative, of whom Germany is attempting to obtain debt coverage for, has been estranged from any family for over 40 years. The debt is from a nursing home bill. This relative was in jail. When he became old and sickly, the German state committed him to a nursing home and is now literally extorting an American citizen to pay the bill!

Germans can do whatever they like, remember... they believe that the rights of the individual is granted by the state and therefore subject to the discretion of the state. So naturally, they see nothing wrong here.

Good thing we so very much want to be like Europe!