The story of a house where the number of heirs ballooned to 15 due to successive successions
It took the registered seals of 15 people to change the title of one family home
This is a story about a family, the likes of which we often see in the field of inheritance. While it is not about any specific person, I am sure you will be able to feel the fear that “neglect” brings.
A certain person finally tried to sell their family home, which had remained in the name of their deceased grandfather. However, the moment they tried to change the title (inheritance registration), they were told a fact that they could hardly believe.
“This procedure requires the signatures, registered seals, and seal registration certificates of all 15 heirs.”
15 people, including relatives they had never even met. Why did so many people end up being involved in changing the title of just one family home?
Why did the number of heirs balloon to 15?
The cause lies in the overlapping of successive successions and inheritance by representation. Let's look at it step by step.
Stage Event Situation of Heirs Origin Grandfather dies. Family home title change neglected Grandmother + 3 children Accumulation 1 While not proceeding, grandmother also dies To 3 children Accumulation 2 Furthermore, 2 of the children die of old age Distributed to each spouse/grandchild Inheritance by representation Grandchildren added to the inheritance of the deceased child Spread to the grandchild generation Result Total of 15 heirs Agreement of all required
At first, it was just the grandmother and three children. It was a very common family structure. However, as the years passed without inheritance procedures being carried out, the heirs died one after another, and those inheritances overlapped into the next generation.
This is successive succession. While procedures were neglected, inheritances piled up, and the parties involved increased exponentially. On top of that, inheritance by representation, where a child (grandchild) inherits in place of a deceased child, was added, and before they knew it, the number of heirs had ballooned to 15.
If even one person is missing, everything comes to a halt
What happens when there are 15 heirs? The biggest problem is that the agreement of everyone is required for the division of estate consultation.
If even one person among the 15 falls into any of the following categories, the procedure will come to a complete standstill.
They are out of touch and cannot be contacted
They have lost the capacity to make decisions due to dementia or other reasons
They insist on their share, saying, “I have rights too”
They are not acquainted and are reluctant to cooperate
With just one person missing, the family home cannot be sold or have its title changed, and it becomes frozen. Getting everyone to move in unison is an enormous amount of effort in itself.
Costs and effort also snowball
The burden brought about by successive successions is not just the number of people.
Growing burden: Collecting family registers requires birth-to-death records for every heir, resulting in a massive volume. Communication and coordination involve contacting and negotiating with relatives scattered across the country and sometimes overseas. Professional fees increase as the number of heirs grows, raising the compensation for judicial scriveners and others. Time: Reaching a consensus among everyone can take years.
The result of 'skimping on costs and leaving it unattended' eventually comes back as many times the cost and effort—this is the reality of successive successions.
Successive successions inevitably worsen with the 'passage of time'
There is an important fact to keep in mind here. It is that the situation of successive successions will definitely worsen as time passes.
The longer inheritance procedures are left unattended, the older the parties involved become, and the number of heirs further increases due to subsequent deaths. Conversely, the sooner you start, the fewer people are involved, and the easier it is to reach an agreement.
When inheritance first occurs → Few parties involved, easy to reach consensus
Left unattended for several to several decades → Heirs accumulate, making it impossible to resolve
This difference is decisive.
'Not leaving it unattended' is the best countermeasure
The struggle of collecting 15 registered seals started from a single instance of neglect: 'not changing the name on the title during the grandfather's generation.'
The way to prevent such a situation is simple.
When inheritance occurs, promptly complete the name change (inheritance registration)
Prepare a will to make it a state where consultation is unnecessary in the first place
If the name is already left unchanged, start now while there are few parties involved
Furthermore, inheritance registration became mandatory in April 2024, and leaving it unattended now carries the risk of a fine. Procrastinating by saying 'I'll do it someday' may leave an untangleable knot for your children and grandchildren.
If you have any suspicion that the name on your family home, farmland, or forest remains as it was in the past, we recommend checking it early before the number of heirs increases. We can help you organize the current situation together.
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*This column is a fictional story based on common consultation cases. The handling of successive successions, inheritance by representation, and inheritance registration varies depending on individual circumstances. Please consult a professional such as a judicial scrivener for specific procedures.
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