Dear Bloggers,
I am 19 years old and my dad died when I was 12 years. My dad had 11 children from 5 women.The only children who benefited from his property when he died were the children of our step mother who was married to him at the time of his death. We all used to live with dad until he died.
Is there any hope that anyone can help us claim our share? Dad died just after getting his pension and left a 5 bedroomed house in Avondale Lusaka and a 3 bedroom in the same area. Me (19yrs) and my sister(17yrs) from the same mother,my brother (25) from another mother and my sister( 23yrs) and brother (20yrs) from another mother did not benefit.
How can we claim our inheritance from our step mother.
Please help.
Yours,
Distressed
Makes a sad reading. I was almost saying that move on….make something out of the situation…but I know how hard things are and I hope you will get assistance soon. All the best, and step parents, please ensure all children’s interests are looked at. You fellow men, don’t plant children as if you are planting maize, you cause a lot of anguish.
Impossible if he wrote it in his will that those properties should remain in the hands of your step mother ,unless there is suspicion of manipulation on her part (step mother).If there was no will then not ukwikata na kuchani just sue her.Thats the best advice my humble legal experience can offer.Good luck.
The house looks relatively new, was it build in those years you are mentioning, highlight us further before we advise you. Thankyou
More time #1, are you in Kirinsho
first you should have had a good respect for your step mother because you are not involved in the diefferences your dad had with your blood mother. even if step mother may be difficault you are a child and same to her ourn so child respect or acceptance that she stands in the shoes of your ourn mother is very very important .Then you must andersdand that the house is not the only thing a child needs from a parent. if you are still at school you need the suport to continue going to school so that later you can buy yourself a better house. and again your step mother who i can see that she is also like you if she gave out the same house needs it to keep the younger ones who may not even be able to make better decisions without her than you who is 17.your STAND UP AND FIND SOMTHING TO DO
Go to the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services, they will handle your case and know where to direct you. Ministry of Legal Affairs somewhere in Ridgeway will also definitely help. Start with those two ministries and I think your case will be resolved. There is a law in Zambia now that can be used to give you a share of what your father left, whether or not there was a will as long as it can be proven that you were his biological children and are below 25 years.
#4 KADOLI – With due respect answer the child’s question. He/she is not asking for preaching sermon!!!
Move on man and work for your own. There are alot of people in your situation and you can decide to continue fighting for that house and waste a lot of time or you can just put everything in God’s hands and forge ahead. God has a special eye on orphans, widows and the oppressed. He will take care of you. Let your situation be a stepping stone. My dad had two wives at the time of his death. My mother was the senior wife and had 8 children, the Junior wife had 2 children. Dad built a house for junior wife but not for senior wife with 8 children. We never wasted time to fight for the junior wife’s house. Today we are all independent and have our own families. God works in his own way. Be encouraged.
My Friend it is the responsibility of every Parent to bring up a child, your father died when you were a juvenile…Even if i hav not read Law i guess it is a straight fwd issue..u hav a right to be part of that property with or without a Will ..becoz it belonged to yo Father..Pray about it and seek God’s Council.
All the Best and don’t forget to put God first in all you do
TAKE HER TO COURT MY CHILD!
as the legal aid has rightly put it ,please avail this piece of details;;1 tells us where was father working before his death? 2 .who was registered as his legal wife by way of a marriage certificate at his work place? 3. did heleave a will and who kept that will?4. what was his instructions in that will if any?5. who is keeping the title deeds for the two[2] houses you have mentioned? I stand to give you the help if proved these details.Waiting to hear from you.
#8 uncle P very sensible comment. As hard and hurting as it may feel to you, moving on and making a life of your own with your own hard work and sweat is what this young man should be doing instead of stressing over the fathers inheritance. You are young and very intelligently wise for asking this question. Always pray to God for strength, guidance and wisdom to live on and build your own independent life. Before you know it, those properties you want to wast your time and effort over will be no more. Believe me there is really nothing sweeter than enjoying your own hard earned things. God be and bless you!
The organisation called Justice for Widows and Orphan can help you
Dear Distressed – did your dad leave a will? If so, then what does the will say? If you’re not happy with the will, you should seek legal advice on how to contest it in court. If your dad did not leave a will, there is a law in Zambia – the Intestate Succession Act 1986 – which has provisions on how to share property left by a deceased person without a will. If this is the case, then again, seek legal advice on how to envoke the Intestate Sucession Act 1986. The court will then determine how to share out the property among the many beneficiaries. Seeing that your dad had a number of dependants, it maybe prudent to sell the properties and share out the monetary value or put the properties up for rent and share out the proceedings, etc. Anyhow, the courts can best advise on this issue.
very sad story our kid. try to go to community in GRZ and present your case and with your step brothers and sisters please make anice team but DO NOT insult your mother -praqy to GOD to guide u and all will be alright. God will make your step mother to reason and she will assist you with some houses. those are earthly things and i hope she is NOT free at all till she wells you (all) up. Thank may the loo0rd help you =, your stepmother. Give her all the respect as you have said. . You will see the light coming to you all. GOD BLESS- amen
Way out,
Go to legal aid, i think they are somwhere in Lonacgres or villa not sure. The lawyers there will help and guide you through the process for free. You can ask any police station as to where legal aid is oR cech in the directory and call them for directions.
Remember to keep cool. The lawyers will dot heir job
Sad story indeed, first of all you say your dad got his pension 7 years ago so there is probably nothing much left today and secondly even if you get a decision to sell the houses and share the proceeds, it may not make much differnce to your life in the long term because there are so many potential benificiaries. Just move on and let it go. The greateset inheritence a parent can leave you is a good education so if you have that work hard and use it. You can buy many more houses in the future with that. However get help from real lawyers.
seek God’s intervention first.. I had a similar situation,tried to fight my own battles i failed. I look to God for help and today am a very happy person as the good Lord as fought all my battles and blessed me mightly. Have faith in God and all things shall be possible! @ 8 and 12 i also agree with you.
Sorry young lady.Life can be hard sometimes.Visit one of the courts for advise.Gentlemen and ladies lets be more responsible when it comes to fathering children.Innocent souls put through uncalled for suffering.
The step mother to the writer of the article is the mother to other children fathered by the late (I pressume), what have the other children inherited? Since they have been fathered by the same dead man? Such problems could be avoided if men in question practiced faithfulness to one married partner ( As Christian value) and move out of bondage of traditional values that encourage POLIGAMISM, if not ADULTERY to the greater extent!!!! BASHI TATA twapapata!!!
Its a very unfortunate situation which was created by your father. He left alot of problems for children and he is not the only one there are many men who father children with many women. I am sure legal resource foundation and Victim Unit of ZPS may be of some great help. Its not too late and the step mother should have a heart for the other children 11 children is a big family who need to carry on their father’s flag high. Its unfortunate that women are crafty when it comes with administering the estate of the deceased. Keep on constructively enganing your step mother I am sure a way out will be found. You mean your dad had no relatives ?
Your father was a fool and same goes to all men who breed like dogs without caring about the welfare of children. Go and spit on his grave, he is in hell now where nobody cares about him too.
This are some of the flaws in the legal system and fail to ptrotect the well being of the young ones. Take this Gold digger to court. This kid did not apply to be born from this selfish Dad(God for bid). And you senseless woman whot sound like you are supporting this nonesense, move over for the children interest
thats indeed a sad story i must say,but it is also an eye opener to all those men who dont treat women and children right.men with litle or no respect for women and children.My friend you should seek help from the aurthorities and if no help is coming sodier on and dont look back.Goodluck!!!
All of you chaps advising the kid to seek God’s intervention first are being silly. He obviously prays and that is why he has come to you so that God can work through your wisdom!! Why don’t you get it?? If someone is hungry and comes to you and finds you eating and asks for some food then you say “Seek God’s Intervention first”. Is that a sensible answer? That is why Zambia will never develop—it is not only the politicians, the average citizen is also dwanzy!!! Wake up and buy shoes!!!
This stroy is so familiar and causes a lot of problems for orphans left behind to deal with. Why do people have to fight about deceased peoples worldly goods? I wonder. Mate I sympathise with your loss and your predicament, your father is not there to answer all the why’s and hows, but surely you can pick yourself up and work hard not to make the same errors he made. I have witnessed people fighting over deceased peoples goods, or houses. My family are in a similar dilema, our mother (deceased) was married to our father since she was 18. Father had other childrean outside and we did have a lot of challenges with the mothers of the children till my mother died. Our father had a lot of investments which have brought a lot of uneccessary wahala from these siblings.
one of our siblings is so disillusioned about the whole thing that he has completely lost the plot. His whole life is thrives on bitterness and threats all the time. We have tried to accomodate this guy from the time dad died but it seems he is bent on causing confusion ll the time. My advice to you mate is to work hard for your self and achieve what you need to without having to focus so much on what you call ” my share of the inheritance” That is why I wil leave a will leave my stuff to charity.
Move on….@19yrs old in Zambia?! What support if any are these poor children receiving from the step mother? Where are the fathers relatives? Seek advice from your extended fathers family and seek guidance on the situation young man. It is a tough world out there. I hope your step mother is supporting you and you sister through education and other basic needs. If her treatment only favours her children then that’s sad. Only then should you consider legal advice with the support of your uncles other relatives. I think involving your extended family will help solve the problem. Good luck and wish you the best.
@ #22 Nubian Got to agree with you here. It is an African thing. I bet he was called inshimbi.
my dear you can go to the legal aid for legal representation or you can sue in the magistrates courts for determination on the estates of the deceased.the position of the Zambian law is in your fever especially that you are not yet above 25 meaning you must benefit from your fathers estates.in my estimation considering the number of parties involved,the courts will settle that you sell the houses and share the proceeds.if the distribution contained in the will were not fair its contents will be set aside by the court.
in the same vain let me balance my contribution by mentioning that if the two properties were built by your parents(step mother and father) while married then the property will be in the hands of your mother but that don’t mean the courts cant order for there sell and
just go to victim sport i am very much sure they will help you with doubting.
Do you live with your step mother? Have u attempted to resolve this matter at family level? This may not be an easy one son, especially for u due to your age 19 yrs. Your sister may benefit because according to our laws a person of 17 is considered young and needs the full support of parents not 19.At 19 we are expected to fend for ourselves unless you are still in school. However, dont despare as advised seek help from Justice for Widows and Orphans office. Any victim support office at a Police Station can help you find this (JWO) office.
# 22. Dont judge & insult the dead. You dont know what could have led him build a family with different women. For you and me we should just advise the young lad not insulting the soul of his late father. Supporse I called your father an ***** whether dead or alive how would you feel?
Nubian Princess you are right let our men he-goats stop the rot,why sowing alot of wild oats if you can not manage your affairs below the belt,Self control for our men not marring for the sake of marrying it is the Kids who suffer in the end stop being selfish Ba Kapoli.
step mothers have not been known to be benevolent through all of history and will not be in the infinite future.it is upto fathers to be better thought out.they should be enlightened about the consequences of creating hybrid families for whatever the reason might be .they should be responsible for the well being of their children and do the best they can for everybody.come on men this ignorance has gone far enough.it is heartbreaking to here stories like this were it is extremely hard for anybody to “make it” in this world without a good support network.The line between doing well and and being homeless is really very fine
This is why i avoid the internet for advice!
you need to forge a will (back date), use a do it at home kit, then suddenly find it when you were moving or tidying, once you have done this approach a no win no fee solicitor. Believe your lies and be very narcissistic.
Thanks for sharing important information about inheritance.
Hi, just wanted to say i liked this article. it was practical. keep on posting.