Το Βασικό Πιστοποιητικό Του Δήμου Για Την Κληρονομιά

Το Βασικό Πιστοποιητικό Του Δήμου Για Την Κληρονομιά Του Χρήστου Ηλιόπουλου* Αθήνα, 24 Σεπτεμβρίου 2020 Για την ολοκλήρωση της διαδικασίας της αποδοχής κληρονομίας, ώστε το σύνολο ή ποσοστό της κληρονομίας (ακίνητα, κινητά, υπόλοιπο τραπεζικών λογαριασμών κλπ.) να αποκτηθούν κατά κυριότητα από τον ή τους κληρονόμους, τα σημαντικότερα χρονικά σημεία είναι η υποβολή της Δηλώσεως Φόρου Κληρονομίας, η υπογραφή στον συμβολαιογράφο της Πράξης Αποδοχής Κληρονομίας ή / και η έκδοση από το Δικαστήριο της διατάξεως που οδηγεί στο λεγόμενο Κληρονομητήριο. Για να καταφέρει ο κληρονόμος να τελειώσει τις παραπάνω διαδικασίες, εκτός από την ληξιαρχική πράξη θανάτου, το πιστοποιητικό περί μη δημοσιεύσεως διαθήκης ή άλλης διαθήκης και εκείνα της μη αποποιήσεως της κληρονομίας και της μη προσβολής του κληρονομικού δικαιώματος, ένα έγγραφο “κλειδί” είναι το πιστοποιητικό εγγυτέρων συγγενών, που εκδίδεται από το τμήμα Δημοτολογίου του Δήμου όπου ήταν εγγεγραμμένος ο κληρονομούμενος. Πιστοποιητικό εγγυτέρων συγγενών εκδίδεται συνεπώς μόνο για Έλληνες πολίτες, δηλαδή για όσους ήταν εγγεγραμμένοι στο Δημοτολόγιο ενός Δήμου. Εάν ο αποβιώσας κατοικούσε μεν στην Ελλάδα, αλλά δεν είχε ελληνικό διαβατήριο και ταυτότητα, αλλά και στην περίπτωση που απεβίωσε εκτός Ελλάδος και δεν ήταν γραμμένος σε Δήμο στην Ελλάδα, έχει όμως περιουσία στην Ελλάδα, η απόδειξη των πλησιεστέρων συγγενών γίνεται με δύο ένορκες βεβαιώσεις ή υπεύθυνες δηλώσεις, δύο μαρτύρων, οι οποίοι θα δηλώσουν ότι γνωρίζουν καλώς εάν ο θανών ή η θανούσα άφησε τέκνα, σύζυγο ή εάν δεν άφησε τέκνα, εάν είχε σύζυγο, αδέλφια, τέκνα προαποβιωσάντων αδελφών ή και γονείς και ξαδέλφια. Εν συνδυασμώ προς το αν στην κληρονομία υπάρχει διαθήκη ή όχι, από την Ελλάδα ή το εξωτερικό, το πιστοποιητικό εγγυτέρων συγγενών είναι ίσως το σημαντικότερο έγγραφο που επιτρέπει στην εφορία, στον συμβολαιογράφο, στην τράπεζα, αλλά και σε κάθε νομικό που ελέγχει τους τίτλους ενός ακινήτου που προέρχεται από κληρονομία, να διαπιστώσει με νομική ασφάλεια ποιοί είναι οι κληρονόμοι και τι ποσοστό κληρονομεί έκαστος. Εάν ο κληρονομούμενος απεβίωσε εκτός Ελλάδος, αλλά υπάρχουν αντικείμενα της κληρονομίας στην Ελλάδα, ελέγχουμε εάν υπάρχει οικογενειακή μερίδα σε Δήμο στην Ελλάδα. Μπορεί ο θανών στο εξωτερικό να είναι μόνο εγγεγραμμένος ως τέκνο των γονέων του, ενώ είχε μεταναστεύσει στο εξωτερικό, όπου παντρεύτηκε και έκανε παιδιά, χωρίς όμως να τα έχει εγγράψει στην Ελλάδα. Σε μία τέτοια περίπτωση, ίσως απαιτηθεί να εγγραφούν τώρα στο Δημοτολόγιο ο γάμος και η γέννηση των τέκνων που έλαβαν χώρα στο εξωτερικό, να ανοιχθεί νέα οικογενειακή μερίδα στην Ελλάδα και μετά να εκδοθεί το περίφημο πιστοποιητικό εγγυτέρων συγγενών. Εάν ο γάμος του ήταν δεύτερος, θα χρειασθεί να εγγραφεί ο πρώτος γάμος του, το διαζύγιο και μετά ο δεύτερος γάμος του. Μπορεί επίσης να χρειασθεί ακόμα και δικαστική απόφαση ελληνικού δικαστηρίου αναγνωρίσεως της ισχύος στην Ελλάδα της αλλοδαπής δικαστικής απόφασης διαζυγίου. Εάν η κληρονομουμένη ήταν κάτοικος εξωτερικού, αναμφισβητήτως Ελληνίδα, με κληρονομιά στην Ελλάδα, αλλά όχι επισήμως Ελληνίς υπήκοος, διότι επί παραδείγματι είχε γεννηθεί στο εξωτερικό και δεν είχε κάνει ποτέ την διαδικασία κτήσεως ελληνική ιθαγενείας, για την απόδειξη των πλησιεστέρων συγγενών και τον προσδιορισμό των κληρονόμων, θα απαιτηθούν ένορκες βεβαιώσεις δύο μαρτύρων στην Ελλάδα ή στο εξωτερικό, που θα γίνουν δεκτές από την εφορία και τον συμβολαιογράφο εφόσον τηρηθεί ο απαιτούμενος τύπος, ώστε να περαιωθεί η μεταβίβαση των κληρονομιαίων στους κληρονόμους. *Ο Χρήστος Ηλιόπουλος είναι Δικηγόρος παρ’ Αρείω Πάγω, Master of Laws. www.greekadvocate.eu bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

I Was Born In Greece But Can’t Register My Foreign Marriage By Christos ILIOPOULOS*

I Was Born In Greece But Can’t Register My Foreign Marriage By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 12 Sep. 2020 A Greek expatriate lives in Australia. He was born in Greece, moved to Australia at a young age and settled there. He is of the impression that he can easily register in Greece his marriage in Australia. His intention is to subsequently register his children, born in Australia, so they obtain the much-wanted Greek / European passport. Also, the family may start some new business in Greece soon, and that is why the Australian marriage needs to be registered in Greece and the children to get their Greek passports. In most cases, the foreign marriage can be registered in Greece, provided at least one of the persons in the marriage (bride and groom) is a Greek citizen. However, problems may arise. A usual complication is when the name of the Greek citizen is not stated in the same spelling in his/her foreign marriage, as it is in the Greek birth record. The person was born in Greece with his last/family name as Leontiadis, but married in the USA as Leon. The Greek name may have been Xydeas but in the foreign marriage it was Xydias. Evan subtle changes such as this, may block the registration in Greece of the foreign marriage, and thus discontinue the citizenship registration. One other reason for which the foreign marriage can’t be registered immediately in Greece, is that it is the second marriage of the Greek citizen. When we take a marriage certificate from Canada, to the Greek authority for registration, we may discover that the marriage document states that it is the second marriage of the Greek citizen. Or that the Greek citizen was prior to this marriage “divorced”. In such a case, we need to find the marriage certificate of the first marriage and register this in Greece. Then, we must find the divorce court ruling or court order. If it was from a country outside of Greece, it needs to be officially translated in Greek, with Apostille or notarization by the Greek Consulate, and presented before a Greek court, with a court petition for recognition in the Greek legal order. We also need additional written proof that this foreign divorce court decision is final, meaning that the time limit to challenge or appeal it has passed without incident. Once the court in Greece issues its decision recognizing the foreign divorce court order, the ruling is registered at the Special Registry in Athens, and then we will be able to register the second marriage of the Greek citizen, which was our aim in the first place. Then, the road to the Greek citizenship or to any other legal registration in Greece is open. . *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

My Parents Own Property In Greece

My Parents Own Property In Greece By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 4 Aug. 2020 My parents own property in Greece, but I do not know if they have the right documents to prove their property rights. Also, I do not know if they have updated their titles and property listings with various authorities in Greece and if we owe taxes to the Greek tax authority. These are some of the main questions Greek expatriates put forward, with regard to property they have in Greece, especially when they are facing decisions related to selling it, or transferring it to their offspring, or starting managing it in a more efficient way. The first important matter is to make sure we have the deed or title to the property. This is the legal document by which the owner (Greek expatriate) has obtained the ownership of the property in question. It is usually a deed of purchase, when the Greek expatriate bought the property years ago. Very often it is a deed of acceptance of inheritance, by which the Greek expatriate inherited the property from a parent or another relative. It may be a deed of donation / free gift from a relative or a third party. The title may be a deed of legal division of jointly owned property, in order each of the owners to obtain a separate piece of the property. All these deeds have been signed (executed), sometime in the past, before and by a notary in Greece and they are supposed to be registered at the local land registry, near the property. In some cases, the title of ownership is a state deed, by which the Greek state transferred title to private owners on land given to them for any reason (refugees from Asia Minor many years agο, redistribution of lands etc.). If the owner (Greek expatriate) does not have even a copy of the deed by which she/he owns the property, the lawyer in Greece will make a search at the land registry in the area of the property, and using the name of the owner (first name, last name, maiden for women, father’s and mother’s first name), should be able to find the deed of the property, provided the deed had been registered when it was signed. This means that the Greek expatriate must be able to a) either have the old deed (even in copy form) or b) know the town or village where the property is located. If the owner does not have the old deed and does not even know where the property is located, the lawyer in Greece may not be able to locate its legal title. Another valuable document is a survey map or topographic plan, showing the technical aspects of the property. It is enough for the present owner to have a copy of such deed and survey map. Having the deed, even in photocopy form, will give the lawyer or the notary the chance to verify many legal aspects of the identity of the property and subsequently advise what needs to be done in order to bring the deed up to date, whether any taxes are owed, if the owner must register the deed with a modern land registry called Ktimatologio, the E9 property list of the tax authority and with the local Municipality. A new survey map may have to be drawn by a civil engineer, so that the boundaries and other technical characteristics of the property are depicted according to recent specifications. In order to make the new survey map (topographic plan), the most crucial question is to be able to physically get to the property. In other words, to visit it. In some cases the Greek expatriate who claims is the owner, does have a deed, and does not know how to get to his property. If the property in question is a house or apartment, it may be easier to locate it, visit it and show it to a civil engineer for technical inspection. If, on the other hand, the property is a land or plot, the legal description of its boundaries and its exact location may not be a part of the old deed’s text. Older deeds do not offer an exact description of the property’s accurate location, making it difficult for someone today to locate it and then to measure it. This is the reason why it is very important to either know where your property actually is, in physical terms and not just in legal description, or be acquainted with a trusted relative, neighbor or other local person, who knows how to get to your property. If you visit your property in Greece anytime, the best thing is to make a new survey map. Alternatively, you must at least take several photos of its boundaries, and its location and you must also keep track of how to get there, because this practical detail may be critical in locating the position of your property in the future and updating its status with the Greek tax office, the land registry, the Municipality and other authorities. When the property is identified with a deed and its actual position is located, the identity of the owner must be established, by having the passport or / and Greek id card of the owner available for legal work. If the owner lives outside of Greece, there is no problem at all to update the property’s status. This is done with a power of attorney (POA) which is drafted by a lawyer in Greece and sent (e-mailed) to the owner abroad, with instructions to sign it at the closest Greek Consulate, or at least at a local notary public with the Apostille stamp or with the stamp of the Greek Consulate, depending on the situation. The owner, in consultation with his family and his lawyer in Greece, must decide what he/she wants to do with the property, meaning whether he wishes to retain it in his ownership or sell it, gift it to his offspring, donate it to a sibling or make a Will. Depending on the owner’s instructions, the lawyer in Greece will draft the appropriate POA, which the owner will sign at the Consulate or local notary with Apostille and mail it back to Greece. . *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr

I Wish To Get Greek Citizenship Through My Greek – born Parent

I Wish To Get Greek Citizenship Through My Greek – born Parent By Christos ILIOPOULOS* Athens, 22 August 2020 My mother was born in Greece and I would like to know if and how I could obtain the Greek citizenship, which I believe is like a European citizenship, as well. Could you please advise how this could be done? This is a very common request, which I receive from many people, born outside of Greece to Greek parents or grandparents. The pattern is the same. A Greek – born father or mother, or grandparent, and fewer times a great grandparent. Sometimes, the ancestor was not even born in Greece, but was Greek anyway. In that case, you can read my article “How Much Greek You Feel?”. My initial reply is that, first we need to know the full data of the parent born in Greece. His or her name, last name, (maiden for a woman), place and year of birth in Greece, as accurate as possible, and the first name of his or her father, as the minimum data, which allows the proper search to be done at a municipal office in Greece. The aim is to locate, if possible, the valid registration of the parent, at a Greek Municipal office. This is the Demotologion for men and women, which is like the main book of citizens. Anyone registered at a Demotologion is a Greek citizen. The other option, available only to men for obvious reasons, is the army record or Male Registry, which can help us locate valid registrations of men even from the 1870’s in some parts of Greece and later. If we locate the birth record of the parent born in Greece, the next thing we need is his/her marriage certificate. The marriage may have taken place in Greece or abroad and in that case, for older marriages, we must establish whether it was only a state / civil marriage, or a religious marriage, as well. And in that last case, what type of denomination. All foreign (non-Greek) certificates of birth and civil marriage must have the Apostille stamp, if they come from the USA, Australia, the UK, South Africa, Brazil and most other countries. If they are issued from Canada and few other countries, they do not get the Apostille. Instead, they are notarized by the Greek Consulate in that country, or by the respective foreign Consulate in Athens. The aim is to register the foreign marriage at the Special Registry in Athens. If this is the marriage of the grandparents of the applicant, whether it was civil or religious may determine the prospects of the citizenship application, especially if the marriage has taken place outside of Greece and before 1983. We also need to know whether this marriage was a first or second etc. for the Greek – born parent of the present applicant for the Greek citizenship. If it was not a first marriage, we will need the first marriage and the divorce court ruling, in order to recognize it in Greece with a court petition and hearing, which does not re-try the divorce in its merits, but simply transfers its validity into the Greek legal order. Subsequently, we need the birth certificate of the person interested in the Greek / European citizenship, from the foreign country, always with Apostille or Greek Consulate notarization. We need to register this at the Special Registry in Athens, too. Names must be consistently stated in all certificates. Serious name and spelling changes can be a serious problem. They can be overcome with adjusted translation or justification of the name change, either with a court or administrative decision abroad, if this exists, or with photo identification documents (passports or other photo id), where each version of the name appears in each photo id. The photos in the photo ids serve as the link, proving that both versions of the name belong to the same person. Apart from the above basic info, there are many variations of facts and details in each case, which make it unique and call for legal advice on specific issues by experienced attorneys in Greece. *Christos ILIOPOULOS, attorney at the Supreme Court of Greece , LL.M. www.greekadvocate.eu e-mail: bm-bioxoi@otenet.gr