San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-04-25
UNCLAIMED ESTATES.
Laws Concerning Inheritance In
Holland, France and Germany.
Method of Procedure That Must Be
Adopted by Claimants-Several Hun
dred Courts Holding Estates
in Trust.

Holland is another country where it
is supposed by many Americans that
vast estates, from the value of $12, 000,-
900 down, have been lying unclaimed
for the last 200 years, and that nothing
is necessary but to demand them at
some probate Office. For the last II
years the American legation at The
Hague has notified claimants, either
directly or through the department of
state, that there are no probate courts
in Holland and that wills are generally
deposited in the care of the notary who
draws them up. He makes duplicate
copy, and enters the title and subject
matter under a number in his register,
which is examined and verified by the
registrar once a month. 1t is evident,
where names, dates and localities are
lacking, as is generally the case in the
communications of claimants, that,
after the lapse of one or two genera
tions, estates can be found only, if at
all, by expensive advertising. In 1852
the Dutch parliament established a
state commission for the settlement
of claims on the estates of deceased
persons, as we'll as those against the
government. This commission gave
notice that all claims to property then
in their hands must be sent in within
five years and six months, after which
time such estates would escheat to the
state. The great estate sought for in
Holland is that of a Gen. Metzgar, who
died about 200 years ago, leaving, as
is currently supposed, some S12,0O0,O00.
One of the claimants admitted to our
minister at The Hague that if ordinary
interest were added to the principal of
this claim, all the European COVERT
ments together would be unable to pay
it, but that she was willing to wait
for the interest.
Our embassy in Paris does net give
the names of any claimants of estates,
but says that the number of inquiries
is large, and that in no case has the eX-
istence of the supposed estate or of the
unclaimed fortune been verified. The
legislation of France is such as to dis
pose effectually and without appeal OF
all claims, even if inherently just and
founded on an actual and known her
itage, which were not presented and
proven within the period prescribed by
, the french statute of limitations. I'm
der French law the liquidation of es-
tates is ordinarily in the hands of a
notary, and in searching for an estate
the usual method is to address circu-
lar letter to every notary in the city and
department where the estate is likely to
be, giving the name and date of death
of the original owner. When there is
no landed estate the heirs at law can
divide the property among themselves
without legal proceedings. If nobody
claims an estate, the state takes it in
trust, and the department of justice in
serts notices of the fact in the official
journal. The period of prescription
as regards unclaimed estates is 30 years
from the date of decease, after which all
claims are barred, unless some irregu-
larity in the liquidation can be proven.
In Germany there is likewise a
statute of limitations, and there, too,
not case is known to our embassy
where the existence of an unclaimed es-
tate has been verified. AS rule, the
data furnished by claimants are insult
ficient to substantiate any claim, or
to identify the locality of a single es-
tate. even when the statute of limita.
tions does not apply to great periods of
time elapsing since the testator's death.
One great drawback for the claimants
is the absence of all probate machinery,
and the fact that estates are usually
divided amicably among the heirs with
out resort to any court, transfers of
landed estate being made on the land
l..