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Have a question you would like answered? Email us and we may answer it. The questions here are based on ones from our readers, with identifying information removed.

Please note: GroundUp is just a news agency. We are not lawyers or financial advisors, and we have nothing to do with SASSA, Home Affairs, or any other government bodies. We do our best to make the answers accurate using publicly available information, but we cannot accept any legal liability if there are errors. If you notice any discrepancies, please email info@groundup.org.za.

Topic: Inheritance  |  Show questions and answers for all topics

My mother died just as her application for an RDP house was approved. Will we, as her surviving children, be given the house?

You will have to go the municipality where your mother applied and ask them for their advice in this situation.

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Will my late father's assets go to my stepfather if my mother and stepfather separate?

If your mother and her new husband are married in community of property, they share an undivided and equal joint estate.

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The government pension fund won’t process my child’s claim without an affidavit from a relative we don't know, despite proof of support and a willing extended family.

You may still claim from the GEPF by proving financial dependence and trying to involve the brother through a meeting, affidavit, or sworn statements from other relatives.

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I’m the fideicommissary heir but my sister won’t give me the keys to our home after our mom, the surviving spouse, died. What can I do?

If the will names you as the fideicommissary heir, you may have a legal right to the property. Consult the Master’s Office for help.

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My half-brother applied for an authority letter to claim our late father’s inheritance. How can we be included to get our share?

If your father died without a will, all four children are equal heirs and should have had a say in who got the letter of authority. You can write to the Master of the High Court over your concerns.

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Am I entitled to my late father’s RDP house if I was listed as the only dependent, even though he had other children?

If your father died without a will, all his surviving children, including your half-siblings, are legally entitled to inherit the house equally under the Intestate Succession Act.

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Can the only surviving adult child evict the grandchildren from their late grandmother’s house if there is no will?

No, they cannot evict their deceased mother’s grandchildren from her house. Your uncle is entitled to a share of the home as is the dependents of his deceased sibling's children.

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My late grandmother only listed one dependant to benefit from her house but there are five of us. Can this still be amended?

No, it can’t be amended after her death.

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What should I do if my late parent's attorney lost their will and title deed, and we can't get hold of them?

You should be able to get copies from the Master's Office where the death was registered.

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Can I get my parent's RDP house if they passed away before getting the key?

If the house had been awarded to your parent before they passed away, you should be able to get the house (unless they wrote a will saying otherwise).

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