My mother always lived in Martinique, but she came to the mainland for medical treatment, where she unfortunately passed away. Is it true that I have one year to file the inheritance declaration with the tax authorities ?

Yes. Article 642 of the General Tax Code provides that when the deceased has passed away outside the department of Martinique where they were domiciled, the heirs have a one-year period to file the inheritance declaration with the tax authorities (as an exception to the six-month period).
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My mother passed away and apparently had debts, including unpaid wages to her housekeeper. I am hesitant to accept the inheritance. Does settling the unpaid wages expose me to accepting the inheritance ?

No. Article 784, 4° of the Civil Code states that certain actions at the time of death cannot be considered as tacit acceptance of the inheritance. This includes " acts related to the termination of the employment contract of the deceased employer’s employee, the payment of salaries and allowances due…
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I want to give bare ownership of assets to my minor grandchildren and keep the usufruct. If I die before they reach majority, I do not want these assets to be managed by their parents. Is this possible ?

Yes. It is entirely possible to make a donation to your minor grandchildren. This donation must be accepted by their legal administrators (their parents), in accordance with Article 935 of the Civil Code. However, you can specify in the donation act that the donated assets be managed by a third…
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My father is under a notarized future protection mandate. I am the agent. He intended to make a donation but could not do so before this measure was implemented. Is it still possible ?

Yes. A future protection mandate does not prevent the protected person from disposing of their property with the assistance of their agent. However, Article 490 paragraph 2 of the Civil Code requires the agent to obtain the authorization of the guardianship judge to "perform a disposition act for free." The…
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We are two brothers and one sister co-owning an agricultural land. My sister and I want to lease it, but my brother opposes. Is the agreement of all co-owners required ?

Yes. Regarding co-ownership, Article 815-3 4° of the Civil Code states that a majority of two-thirds of the co-owners can "conclude and renew leases other than those concerning a property for agricultural, commercial, industrial, or artisanal use." In your case, it is a lease for agricultural use, which requires the…
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I rent a parking space in the neighboring residence. My landlord informed me that he sold it to one of the building's co-owners without offering it to me first. Is he allowed to do so ?

Yes. The tenant's right of first refusal exists only in specific cases defined by law, such as for unfurnished residential leases (Article 15 II of the law of July 6, 1989). In the case of selling a parking space, no law provides a right of priority for the tenant. Therefore…
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I am single with no children. I am considering appointing an animal protection association as the universal legatee of my estate. If it declines the bequest, can it choose who shall receive it instead ?

No. The will reflects the last wishes of its author. Therefore, if you appoint an association as the universal legatee, it has the option to accept or decline the bequest (Article 724-1 of the Civil Code). If it declines and you have not designated a secondary legatee, the rules of…
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I am considering filing an inheritance declaration and paying the associated inheritance taxes. Does this filing imply tacit acceptance of the inheritance ?

In principle, no. If filing an inheritance declaration and paying the taxes are not listed in Article 784 of the Civil Code (which lists acts that do not imply tacit acceptance), old case law has considered that these actions do not constitute tacit acceptance, provided that the taxes are paid…
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