Q: My mom passed on 12/11/21 in Massachusetts and married. Dad and Mom own house in PR, are the kids entitled to anything?
My mother and father were legally married at the time of my mother's passing. They own a home in PR but both have children from previous marriages. What are my mother's children entitled to? Can we ask that her husband pay us her half of the home's value if he is unwilling to sell the home?
A:
Pursuant to Puerto Rico’s Civil Code, all of your late mother’s children have an hereditary interest in her entire estate.
Assuming that your parents did not have a prenup in place during their marriage, their house in Puerto Rico was jointly owned by both under a legal joint community (sociedad legal de gananciales); in which case, 50% of the property would now belong to her heirs. Absent a Last Will & Testament, this value would be divided equally among her children.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
