Distribution of property after death, if there is no Will

DISTRIBUTION OF PROPERTY AMONG CLASS I HEIRS

Distribution of property after death, if there is no Will

The property of a Hindu male dying intestate is distributed among his heirs in accordance with section 8 and 9 of The Hindu Succession Act, 1956. As per these the property of a Hindu dying intestate devolves upon his heirs of Class I who take the property to the exclusion of all other heirs. But what if there are more than one Class I heirs among whom the property of the deceased devolves? What rules are to be followed in such devolution. Section 10 of the Act lays down the rules to be followed in such cases. Section 10 provides as under:

Distribution  of  property  among  heirs in  class  I  of  the Schedule:  The  property  of an intestate shall be  divided  among  the heirs  in  class I of the Schedule in accordance  with  the  following rules:-

Rule  1.-The intestate’s widow, or if there are more  widows than one, all the widows together, shall take one  share.

Rule 2.-The  surviving sons and daughters and the mother  of  the intestate shall each take one share.

Rule 3.-The heirs in the branch of each pre-deceased son  or   each  pre-deceased  daughter  of  the  intestate  shall  take between them one share.

Rule 4.-The  distribution of the share referred to  in  Rule 3-

(i)   among  the heirs in the branch of the  pre-decease  son  shall  be  so  made  that  his  widow  (or   widows together),  and  the surviving sons  and  daughters  get equal portions ; and the branch of his pre-deceased sons gets the same portion;

(ii) among  the heirs in the branch of the pre-deceased  daughter  shall be so made that the surviving  sons  and  daughters get equal portions.

Rule 1:   The intestate’s widow, or if there are more  widows  than one, all the widows together, shall take one share.