more-in Madurai P. Dhanalakshmi (85) of North Masi Street never thought that she would have to get a legal heirship certificate after her husband’s death four decades ago. When she wanted to share the ancestral property, which was in the name of her mother-in-law, among her five children, she found that legal heirship certificate was a must. But when she applied for it after 44 years, she thought the delay was a blunder on her part. That is why she silently accepted the seven-month delay even though government officials have to issue a legal heirship certificate within a week. “Only when the elderly woman came to me seeking the certificate, did I know about the delay,” said Madurai West Tahsildar S. Balaji. He made the cross verification himself with the neighbourhood of the woman and handed over the certificate on Tuesday. “It is my mistake that I have come after such a long delay. I never thought that I should apply for this certificate all these years. Please forgive me,” she said in a repenting tone. However, when the Tahsildar handed over the certificate, the woman blessed him and said, “I know that you have acted so fast considering my age.” “My son has left two small girl children. I thought that the ancestral house should be sold immediately and property shared among the five children. I don’t know if my other children would be fair enough with my grandchildren, after my days. Hence, I wanted to do it myself,” she said. Similar was the case with R. Damodaran (46) who had applied for the certificate for his father who had passed away in 1992. “All these days we never felt the need for it. Now, my mother wants to sell a piece of land our father had left behind and share it among six of us. Hence, I had applied six months ago,” he said. The Tahsildar said that he had issued such 60 legal heirship certificates with long delays, the oldest was for someone who had died in 1968, in the last nine months. “I was able to process their applications at the earliest, because they came directly to me. Many people approach middlemen and lose money and time,” he said. People in need of legal heirship certificates need to apply giving details of the legal heirs with a copy of death certificate of the person (father or mother) along with some proof of identity with the Taluk office concerned. “Except for ?2 court fee stamp, no fee is charged for this service,” Mr. Balaji said. This certificate is mandatory for selling or sharing of any property, inherit money deposited in post offices and banks and claim compensation from insurance companies and also to get assistance from the Government.

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