If no one else is there or wants the estate, then when people die, the country inherits. Sometimes it's about a lot of money and lucrative properties, but often also about debt. The country steps in as an heir in 700 to 800 cases a year.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - Last year, Thuringia inherited millions from people who have no relatives. By the end of November, more than 3.2 million euros had flowed into the state coffers from the so-called fiscal inheritances, the Ministry of Finance announced on request in Erfurt. This means that the state's inheritances within eleven months were higher than the total amount in 2019 with around 2.8 million euros and 2020 with around 2.3 million euros. In 2021, Thuringia even inherited almost 4.6 million euros.
These are savings and account balances, but also real estate, home furnishings, jewelry, vehicles and even shares in companies. Often, however, it is also about over-indebted estates that were rejected by the actual heirs.
The number of so-called fiscal inheritances has been relatively stable in recent years, according to figures from the ministry. It ranged between 797 inheritances in the country in 2019, 782 in 2021 and 761 at the end of November last year.
The downside of this development: the costs for the country rose considerably. Four years ago, only around 520,000 euros would have to be spent on the administration of inheritances and their realization, but last year it was almost 1.5 million euros and thus almost half of the income from fiscal inheritances as of November.
As with inheritances that go to family members, there is often a lot to settle: rental, lease, insurance or energy contracts have to be terminated. "Even if, due to the relatively high income in relation to the expenditure, it could be assumed that the determination as an inheritance for the Free State would be worthwhile, the reality is different," said the Ministry of Finance.
Thuringia inherited mostly over-indebted estates, which often had to be processed with high personnel and cost expenditure. It is about the management and exploitation of land, the sale of vehicles, among other things, or the liquidation of companies.
"In many cases, the effort involved in realizing the inherited property is particularly high, as there is often no buyer for a long time due to over-indebtedness, its structural condition and the fact that it has often been vacant for years," says the ministry. At the end of November, the country had a total of 4,388 inherited parcels in its possession that needed to be managed.
