Nowadays, indebtedness of the population is a relatively significant problem. With the death of an individual this reflects also in the field of inheritance as in such situations, we are dealing with an overindebted deceased person. Although the liability of heirs for the testator's debts is regulated in the Slovenian Inheritance Act (ZD), it was not until 2008 that equal treatment of all creditors of the deceased in situations, when a person passed away overindebted, was enabled. As already mentioned, this changed in 2008 when the Slovenian legislator via the Financial Operations, Insolvency Proceedings and Compulsory Winding-up Act (ZFPPIPP) accepted an institute called the bankruptcy of legacy, the main purpose of which is simultaneous and equivalent repayment of creditors of the deceased person. The Master's Thesis presents and critically deals with the general characteristics of this institute. Its understanding, especially questions regarding bankruptcy assets, is easier once we understand the basic principles of the liability of heirs for the testator's debts. Therefore at the beginning, some attention is dedicated to this topic.
Situations, in which the deceased has no heirs, or conversely if the deceased has heirs but they do not inherit due to different circumstances, can also occur. In such cases we are dealing with the so-called estate without an heir. The Master's Thesis deals also with the liability for the testator's debts and the execution of insolvency of legacy in such cases. For a long time a rule has been observed in the Slovenian legal order by which in such cases the estate passed to the state by force. Consequently, this resulted in the fact that its liability for the testator's debts was unavoidable. This changed in 2013 as ZFPPIPP-E granted the state a chance to limit its liability. In 2016, another change occurred with ZD-C which limited its liability even further, and in some circumstances it even excludes it. Due to these changes, the topic is represented chronologically and, at the same time, the main criticism of the current regulation is highlighted.
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