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In Shanghai, a woman named Ling recently found herself entangled in a bureaucratic maze while trying to inherit her father’s share of the family property following his passing. The unexpected hurdle? She was required to provide death certificates for her great-grandparents, who had died a century ago.
Ling's family purchased the apartment in 2000, with ownership listed under her grandfather, parents, and herself. Since then, her grandmother passed away in 2002, her grandfather in 2017, and most recently, her father in 2023. Now, only Ling and her mother remain in the household.
At the beginning of this year, Ling and her mother set out to begin the inheritance process. They contacted her father’s siblings, all of whom agreed to relinquish their claims on the property since her grandfather had not left a will. However, when Ling and her mother visited the property transaction center to formalize the inheritance, they were informed that a notarization of the inheritance was necessary.
The notary pointed out that because the property was purchased before her grandmother's death, her grandfather's ownership was considered community property. According to the law, the first-line heirs include her grandmother's parents, spouse, and children, which meant that death certificates for Ling's great-grandparents were essential.
A legal consultant explained that this requirement aimed to confirm whether her great-grandparents had indeed passed away before Ling's grandmother. If they had died after, they would also qualify as heirs. The notary clarified that the reason for focusing solely on her grandmother's parents was a customary practice in the notary industry.
Faced with this unusual request, Ling attempted to locate her great-grandparents’ records through her grandmother's household registration and personal files. Accompanied by a reporter, she visited various police stations but could only find information on her grandparents and their seven children, with no luck in tracking down her great-grandparents' documentation.
Despite the setbacks, Ling's legal team suggested pursuing a lawsuit to have the court confirm the inheritance shares. Typically, judges will investigate the matter and may allow the inheritance to proceed without the missing documents, provided all known heirs agree that no additional heirs exist. However, if new heirs surface after the ruling, they could request a retrial to claim their rights.
Netizens have expressed sympathy for Ling’s plight, with many commenting on the difficulties of navigating legalities around inheritance in China. One user wrote, “It’s absurd that a woman must dig through nearly a century's worth of records just to inherit what’s rightfully hers.” Others suggested reforming these regulations to make the inheritance process less complicated and more transparent.
