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Shock inheritance: debts instead of assets for a mother suffering from dementia!
A treatment incident in Tuttlingen raises questions about the overload of the authorities and the care system. Inheritance issues highlighted.
Shock inheritance: debts instead of assets for a mother suffering from dementia!
The case of 83-year-old Frank Krebs sheds an alarming light on the care system in Germany. How Schwäbische.de reports, Krebs received a letter from the Tuttlingen district court that shocked him. He was given an inheritance from Kurt P., who died in July, the partner of his mother, who suffered from dementia. But instead of hoping for a fortune, Krebs discovered that the estate was burdened with massive five-figure debts.
Taking responsibility for your family is a big undertaking, especially when dementia comes into play. Krebs’ mother, who is herself a co-heir, had no idea about her inheritance. What legal framework does cancer now operate under? Within a few weeks he had to decide whether to refuse the inheritance, which he finally did on October 24th. But how did this negative surprise come about?
A look behind the scenes
Krebs' research showed that Kurt P. had been under legal guardianship for years, but that this had been inactive since mid-2024. The guardianship court pointed out that temporary guardianship is legally limited and can only be extended with an expert report. However, this report was only drawn up after the death of the person concerned. Krebs expresses concerns about the lack of control and overburdening of authorities in this sensitive area.
In fact, the care system is complex. Loud Inheritance Law Guide.de A carer is assigned to an adult who is no longer able to manage everyday life on their own. He takes care of all legal matters as well as the assets of the person being cared for. In the case of Kurt P., however, it turned out that, despite the care measures, there were outstanding claims of over 36,000 euros from the clinic and 31,000 euros from the nursing home, while only a few thousand euros remained in his account.
Complexity of dementia and its consequences
Incidentally, dementia does not automatically mean that someone is incapacitated, according to information from pflege.de. It is crucial that powers of attorney and care orders are in place to guarantee legal representation in an emergency. If such documents are missing, legal guardianship will be ordered by the court. This also happened in the case of Kurt P., but how effective was the legal care actually?
The information that Krebs received from Kurt P. in the mail showed unpleasant details: Among other things, an invoice for water damage amounting to 10,000 euros was found. Kurt P.'s former supervisor is no longer available and her website has been logged off. In this mess, the question remains: How can the care system be improved to avoid such a loss of control in the future?
At the end of the day, Frank Krebs is left dealing with his partner's estate, and he has now taken over legal responsibility for his mother. The systematic deficiencies in the care system must be urgently addressed to protect those affected and their families.