LAW OF SUCCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ——附加英文版
The National People's Congress
LAW OF SUCCESSION OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
(Adopted at the Third Session of the Sixth National People's
Congress, promulgated by Order No. 24 of the President of the People's
Republic of China on April 10, 1985, and effective as of October 1, 1985)
Contents
Chapter I General Provisions
Chapter II Statutory Succession
Chapter III Testamentary Succession and Legacy
Chapter IV Disposition of the Estate
Chapter V Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
Article 1
This Law is enacted pursuant to the provisions of the Constitution of the
People's Republic of China with a view to protecting the right of citizens
to inherit private property.
Article 2
Succession begins at the death of a citizen.
Article 3
Estate denotes the lawful property owned by a citizen personally at the
time of his death, which consists of:
(1) his income;
(2) his houses, savings and articles of everyday use;
(3) his forest trees, livestock and poultry;
(4) his cultural objects, books and reference materials;
(5) means of production lawfully owned by him;
(6) his property rights pertaining to copyright and patent rights; and (7)
his other lawful property.
Article 4
Personal benefits accruing from a contract entered into by an individual
are heritable in accordance with the provisions of this Law. Contracting
by an individual, if permitted by law to be continued by the successor,
shall be treated in accordance with the terms of the contract.
Article 5
Succession shall, after its opening, be handled in accordance with the
provisions of statutory succession; where a will exists, it shall be
handled in accordance with testamentary succession or as legacy; where
there is an agreement for legacy in return for support, the former shall
be handled in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Article 6
The right to inheritance or legacy of a competent person shall be
exercised on his behalf by his statutory agent.
The right to inheritance or legacy of a person with limited capacity shall
be exercised on his behalf by his statutory agent or by such person
himself after obtaining the consent of his statutory agent.
Article 7
A successor shall be disinherited upon his commission of any one of the
following acts:
(1) intentional killing of the decedent;
(2) killing any other successor in fighting over the estate;
(3) a serious act of abandoning or maltreating the decedent; or
(4) a serious act of forging, tampering with or destroying the will.
Article 8
The time limit for institution of legal proceedings pertaining to disputes
over the right to inheritance is two years, counting from the day the
successor became or should have become aware of the violation of his right
to inheritance. No legal proceedings, however, may be instituted after the
expiration of a period of 20 years from the day succession began.
Chapter II Statutory Succession
Article 9
Males and females are equal in their right to inheritance.
Article 10
The estate of the decedent shall be inherited in the following order:
First in order: spouse, children, parents.
Second in order: brothers and sisters, paternal grandparents, maternal
grandparents. When succession opens, the successor(s) first in order
shall inherit to the exclusion of the successor(s) second in order. The
successor(s) second in order shall inherit in default of any successor
first in order.
The "children" referred to in this Law include legitimate children,
illegitimate children and adopted children, as well as step-children who
supported or were supported by the decedent.
The "parents" referred to in this Law include natural parents and adoptive
parents, as well as step-parents who supported or were supported by the
decedent.
The "brothers and sisters" referred to in this Law include blood brothers
and sisters, brothers and sisters of half blood, adopted brothers and
sisters, as well as step-brothers and step-sisters who supported or were
supported by the decedent.
Article 11
Where a decedent survived his child, the direct lineal descendants of the
predeceased child inherit in subrogation. Descendants who inherit in
subrogation generally shall take only the share of the estate their father
or mother was entitled to.
Article 12
Widowed daughters-in-law or sons-in-law who have made the predominant
contributions in maintaining their parents-in-law shall, in relationship
to their parents-in-law, be regarded as successors first in order.
Article 13
Successors same in order shall, in general, inherit in equal shares.
At the time of distributing the estate, due consideration shall be given
to successors who are unable to work and have special financial
difficulties.
At the time of distributing the estate, successors who have made the
predominant contributions in maintaining the decedent or have lived with
the decedent may be given a larger share.
At the time of distributing the estate, successors who had the ability and
were in a position to maintain the decedent but failed to fulfil their
duties shall be given no share or a smaller share of the estate.
Successors may take unequal shares if an agreement to that effect is
reached among them.
Article 14
An appropriate share of the estate may be given to a person, other than a
successor, who depended on the support of the decedent and who neither can
work nor has a source of income, or to a person, other than a successor,
who was largely responsible for supporting the decedent.
Article 15
Questions pertaining to succession should be dealt with through
consultation by and among the successors in the spirit of mutual
understanding and mutual accommodation, as well as of amity and unity. The
time and mode for partitioning the estate and the shares shall be decided
by the successors through consultation. If no agreement is reached through
consultation, they may apply to a People's Mediation Committee for
mediation or institute legal proceedings in a people's court.
Chapter III Testamentary Succession and Legacy
Article 16
A citizen may, by means of a will made in accordance with the provisions
of this Law, dispose of the property he owns and may appoint a
testamentary executor for the purpose. A citizen may, by making a will,
designate one or more of the statutory successors to inherit his personal
property.
A citizen may, by making a will, donate his personal property to the state
or a collective, or bequeath it to persons other than the statutory
successors.
Article 17
A notarial will is one made by a testator through a notary agency.
A testator-written will is one made in the testator's own handwriting and
signed by him, specifying the date of its making.
A will written on behalf of the testator shall be witnessed by two or more
witnesses, of whom one writes the will, dates it and signs it along with
the other witness or witnesses and with the testator.
A will made in the form of a sound-recording shall be witnessed by two or
more witnesses.
A testator may, in an emergency situation, make a nuncupative will, which
shall be witnessed by two or more witnesses. When the emergency situation
is over and if the testator is able to make a will in writing or in the
form of a sound-recording, the nuncupative will he has made shall be
invalidated.
Article 18
None of the following persons shall act as a witness of a will:
(1) persons with no capacity or with limited capacity;
(2) successors and legatees; or
(3) persons whose interests are related to those of the successors and
legatees.
Article 19
Reservation of a necessary portion of an estate shall be made in a will
for a successor who neither can work nor has a source of income.
Article 20
A testator may revoke or alter a will he previously made.
Where several wills that have been made conflict with one another in
content, the last one shall prevail.
A notarial will may not be revoked or altered by a testator-written will,
a will written on behalf of the testator, a will in the form of a sound-
recording or a nuncupative will.
Article 21
Where there are obligations attached to testamentary succession or legacy,
the successor or legatee shall perform them. Anyone who fails to perform
the obligations without proper reasons may, upon request by a relevant
organization or individual, entail nullification of his right to
inheritance by a people's court.
Article 22
Wills made by persons with no capacity or with limited capacity shall be
void. Wills shall manifest the genuine intention of the testators; those
made under duress or as a result of fraud shall be void.
Forged wills shall be void.
Where a will has been tampered with, the affected parts of it shall be
void.
Chapter IV Disposition of the Estate
Article 23
After the opening of succession, a successor who has knowledge of the
death should promptly notify the other successors and the testamentary
executor. If one of the successors knows about the death or if there is no
way to make the notification, the organization to which the decedent
belonged before his death or the residents' committee or villagers'
committee at his place of residence shall make the notification.
Article 24
Anyone who has in his possession the property of the decedent shall take
good care of such property and no one is allowed to misappropriate it or
contend for it.
Article 25
A successor who, after the opening of succession, disclaims inheritance
should make known his decision before the disposition of the estate. In
the absence of such an indication, he is deemed to have accepted the
inheritance.
A legatee should, within two months from the time he learns of the legacy,
make known whether he accepts it or disclaims it. In the absence of such
an indication within the specified period, he is deemed to have disclaimed
the legacy.
Article 26
If a decedent's estate is partitioned, half of the joint property acquired
by the spouses in the course of their matrimonial life shall, unless
otherwise agreed upon, be first allotted to the surviving spouse as his or
her own property; the remainder shall constitute the decedent's estate.
If the decedent's estate is a component part of the common property of his
family, that portion of the property belonging to the other members of the
family shall first be separated at the time of the partitioning of the
decedent's estate.
Article 27
Under any of the following circumstances, the part of the estate affected
shall be dealt with in accordance with statutory succession:
(1) where inheritance is disclaimed by a testamentary successor or the
legacy is disclaimed by a legatee;
(2) where a testamentary successor is disinherited;
(3) where a testamentary successor or legatee predeceases the testator;
(4) where an invalidated portion of the will involves part of the estate;
or
(5) where no disposition is made under the will for part of the estate.
Article 28
At the time of the partitioning of the estate, reservation shall be made
for the share of an unborn child. The share reserved shall, if the baby is
stillborn, be dealt with in accordance with statutory succession.
Article 29
The partitioning of a decedent's estate shall be conducted in a way
beneficial to the requirements of production and livelihood; it shall not
diminish the usefulness of the estate.
If the estate is unsuitable for partitioning, it may be disposed of by
such means as price evaluation, appropriate compensation or co-ownership.
Article 30
A surviving spouse who remarries is entitled to dispose of the property he
or she has inherited, subject to no interference by any other person.
Article 31
A citizen may enter into a legacy-support agreement with a person who, in
accordance with the agreement, assumes the duty to support the former in
his or her lifetime and attends to his or her interment after death, in
return for the right to legacy. A citizen may enter into a legacy-support
agreement with an organization under collective ownership which, in
accordance with the agreement, assumes the duty to support the former in
his or her lifetime and attends to his or her interment after death, in
return for the right to legacy.
Article 32
An estate which is left with neither a successor nor a legatee shall
belong to the state or, where the decedent was a member of an organization
under collective ownership before his or her death, to such an
organization.
Article 33
The successor to an estate shall pay all taxes and debts payable by the
decedent according to law, up to the actual value of such estate, unless
the successor pays voluntarily in excess of the limit.
The successor who disclaims inheritance assumes no responsibility for the
payment of taxes and debts payable by the decedent according to law.
Article 34
The carrying out of a legacy shall not affect the payment of taxes and
debts payable by the legator according to law.
Chapter V Supplementary Provisions
Article 35
The people's congress of a national autonomous area may, in accordance
with the principles of this Law and the actual practices of the local
nationality or nationalities with regard to property inheritance, enact
adaptive or supplementary provisions. Provisions made by autonomous
regions shall be reported to the Standing Committee of the National
People's Congress for the record. Provisions made by autonomous
prefectures or autonomous counties shall become effective after being
reported to and approved by the standing committee of the people's
congress of the relevant province or autonomous region and shall be
reported to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for
the record.
Article 36
For inheritance by a Chinese citizen of an estate outside the People's
Republic of China or of an estate of a foreigner within the People's
Republic of China, the law of the place of domicile of the decedent shall
apply in the case of movable property; in the case of immovable property,
the law of the place where the property is located shall apply. For
inheritance by a foreigner of an estate within the People's Republic of
China or of an estate of a Chinese citizen outside the People's Republic
of China, the law of the place of domicile of the decedent shall apply in
the case of movable property; in the case of immovable property, the law
of the place where the property is located shall apply. Where treaties or
agreements exist between the People's Republic of China and foreign
countries, matters of inheritance shall be handled in accordance with such
treaties or agreements.
Article 37
This Law shall go into effect as of October 1, 1985.
Important Notice:
This English document is coming from "LAWS AND REGULATIONS OF THE
PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA GOVERNING FOREIGN-RELATED MATTERS" (1991.7)
which is compiled by the Brueau of Legislative Affairs of the State
Council of the People's Republic of China, and is published by the China
Legal System Publishing House.
In case of discrepancy, the original version in Chinese shall prevail.
厦门市旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换办法
福建省厦门市土地房产管理局
厦门市旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换办法
厦门市土地房产管理局
第一条 为解决最低收入家庭的住房困难问题，改善居民的居住条件，有效利用住房资金，根据《厦门市城镇廉租住房管理规定》，制定本办法。
第二条 本办法适用于思明区、开元区、湖里区、鼓浪屿区范围内的居民将旧公有住房（直管公房和单位自管房）与政府新建或新购住房产权的置换。政府将置换后收回的旧公有住房用于解决最低收入家庭的住房困难。
第三条 申请置换的对象应符合下列条件：
（一）具有厦门市城镇常住户口；
（二）租赁思明区、开元区、湖里区、鼓浪屿区范围内土地房产管理部门直管旧公有住房（不包括代管房、信托房）或单位自管公有住房的住户。
第四条 用于置换的旧公有住房一般应具备以下条件：
（一）不在公告拆迁范围内；
（二）有水、电、厨房、卫生间等设施（含共用）；
（三）住房的结构基本完好，通风采光较好；
（四）住房的居住面积不少于15平方米或建筑面积不少于30平方米。
第五条 公有住房的住户为方便工作生活需要，可将两处公有住房置换一套新住房，但两套住房的建筑面积不得少于40平方米。
第六条 置换申请人应事先征得旧公有住房产权人的同意。属土地房产管理部门直管公房的，应提供住房所在地房管所同意的证明；属单位自管房的，应提供住房产权单位同意腾退的旧公有住房交由政府安排作为廉租住房的证明。
第七条 置换后旧公有住房所有权的权属性质不变。共同部分仍维持原来的使用状况。
第八条 一户家庭人口三人以内的（含三人）可置换二房一厅；一户家庭人口四人以上的（含四人）可置换三房一厅。
第九条 置换的新住房在购房人的住房面积控制标准内或人均建筑面积在20平方米内的部分按经济适用住房的价格计价，超标部分按当年商品房指导价计价。
旧公有住房的置换，可根据旧住房的建筑面积、结构和成套情况获得适当的优惠。优惠金额如下：
2
（单位：元／ｍ ）
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| 结构| | | | |
| 优惠金额 | 框架 |砖混一等|砖混二等| 砖木 |
|成套情况 | | | | |
|－－－－－－－－|－－－－|－－－－|－－－－|－－－－|
| 成 套 |400 |350 |300 |250 |
|－－－－－－－－|－－－－|－－－－|－－－－|－－－－|
| 不成套 |350 |300 |250 |200 |
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
优惠总额按旧住房的建筑面积计算，在新购住房的房款中直接扣除。
旧公有住房建筑面积按产权证标注的建筑面积计算。未取得产权证书的按租赁合同注明的使用面积的1．3倍计算。
第十条 按本办法置换后新购买的住房可获得100％的产权。
第十一条 置换的程序
（一）符合上述置换条件的对象凭《公有住房租赁合同》或单位住房租赁证明，到住房所在地房管所领取《厦门市旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换申请表》。
（二）到市土地房产管理局办理申请登记，申请人应提交以下材料：
1．《厦门市旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换申请表》一式两份；
2．《厦门市城镇居民家庭住房情况证明》一份；
3．《公有住房租赁合同》复印件或单位住房租赁证明；
4．无拖欠租金的证明；
5．身份证、户口簿原件及复印件各一份。
（三）市土地房产管理局组织相关人员进行调查、审核。
（四）对符合置换条件的申请人，市土地房产管理局发给同意置换的通知；对不符合置换条件的申请人，市土地房产管理局发给不同意置换通知书。
（五）申请人持同意置换的通知书到市土地房产管理局抽取流水号，并按流水号顺序选择置换房。
（六）申请人与住房所在地房管所或原产权单位签定退房协议。
（七）申请人持配房单及退房协议到市土地房产管理局办理购房手续。
（八）申请人凭购房合同和发票到小区管理处领取所购住房钥匙。
（九）申请人在领取所购住房钥匙二个月内须办理原旧公有住房的退房手续，将《公有住房租赁合同》原件和钥匙交住房所在地房管所。
不按规定期限办理退房手续的，由市土地房产管理局收回其购买的住房，退回原购房款（不计利息）。
第十二条 申请人退旧公有住房时，应保留房屋原有的设施，不得任意拆改。旧公有住房的装饰部分不予补偿；水、电及管道煤气、有线电视和公共防盗门等由新安排的住户依据厦门市拆迁管理规定的有关条款或双方自行协商给予补偿，购房人必须配合新住户办理旧公有住房的更名手
续。
第十三条 经市土地房产管理局审查同意置换的住户，在购买新住房时，属住房公积金正常缴存的，如一次性付款有困难，可根据市住房制度改革的有关规定申请贷款。
第十四条 受理置换申请的时间及房源等由市土地房产管理局另行公布。
第十五条 置换的旧公有住房，全部作为廉租住房，解决最低收入家庭的住房困难。
第十六条 本办法由厦门市土地房产管理局负责解释。
第十七条 本办法自印发之日起实施。
申请旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换办理程序
一、申请置换对象的条件
1．具有厦门市城镇常住户口；
2．租赁思明区、开元区、湖里区、鼓浪屿区范围内的直管旧公有住房（不包括代管房、信托房）或单位自管公有住房。
二、用于置换的旧公有住房一般应具备的条件
1．不在公告拆迁范围内；
2．有水、电、厨房、卫生间等设施（含共用）；
3．住房的结构基本完好，通风采光较好；
4．住房的居住面积不少于15平方米或建筑面积不少于30平方米。
三、须提交材料：
1．《厦门市旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换申请表》一式两份；
2．《厦门市城镇居民家庭住房情况证明》；
3．《公有住房租赁合同》或单位住房租赁证明；
4．无拖欠租金证明；
5．身份证、户口簿原件及复印件各一份。
四、办理程序（见下表）
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|申请对象到住房所在地房管所领取《厦门市 | |到土地房产管理局办理申|
| |→| |→
|旧公有住房与政府新购建住房置换申请表》。| |请登记。 |
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－－
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
|土地房产管理局组织人员进行| |不符合置换条件的，土地房产管理局|
→| |→| |
|调查、审核。 | |发给不同意置换通知。 |
－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－－
↓
－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－
|符合置换条件的，土| |持同意置换通知书到土| |申请人与旧公有住房所|
|地房产管理局发给同|→| |→|在地房管所或原产权单|
|意置换通知。 | |地房管局抽取流水号。| |位签定退房协议。 |
－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－
－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－
|申请人与土地房| |申请人凭购房合同| |两个月内退旧公房，并|
→|产管理局办理购|→|和发票到小区管理|→|将钥匙和租赁合同交房|
|房手续。 | |处领取新房钥匙。| |屋所在地房管所。 |
－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－ －－－－－－－－－－－－
2000年12月5日
