Reasons For Criminal Disinheritance
Article 510 of the Turkish Civil Code outlines the grounds for disinheritance. If an heir with a reserved share commits a grave crime against the legator or one of his relatives, the legator may remove this heir from the inheritance through a disposition mortis causa. Furthermore, if the heir with the reserved share does not fulfill his/her obligations arising from family law against legator or his/her family members substantially, the legator can remove this heir from the inheritance through disposition mortis causa. However, neither the article in question nor its preamble specify who is considered a relative or family member of the legator or which crimes fall within the scope of a serious offense. Moreover, what should be understood from the significant nonfulfillment of the obligations arising from family law is not specified. As the judicial decisions on the subject contradict each other, the views on the doctrine related to the subject are different. However, nowadays, it is observed that the tendency to recognize superiority to the will of the legator is becoming stronger. In the controversy of disinheritance for criminal reasons that are not regulated explicitly in the law, the interpretation that recognizes superiority to the will of the legator should always be given priority. Article 511 of the Turkish Civil Code specifies the repercussions of disinheritance for criminal reasons. The reason for disinheritance must be stated in the disposition mortis causa for these provisions and outcomes to take effect. Otherwise, according to Article 512 of the Turkish Civil Code, the disposition is executed with the exception of the heir’s reserved share. Moreover, according to this provision, the disposition mortis causa is carried out other than the reserved share of the heir if the existence of the reason for disinheritance cannot be proven by the heirs benefiting from the disinheritance. However, if the legator makes an error regarding the reason for the disinheritance, the heir with the reserved share can take the entire inheritance share by proving that the legator made a mistake. There are also various provisions and consequences created by the disinheritance for criminal or similar reasons, both within and outside the law of inheritance.
Cezai Mirasçılıktan Çıkarma Sebepleri
Cezai mirasçılıktan çıkarma sebeplerine ilişkin Türk Medeni Kanunu’nun 510. maddesine göre mirasbırakan, saklı paylı bir mirasçı kendisine veya yakınlarından birine karşı ağır bir suç işlediği takdirde bu mirasçıyı mirasçılıktan çıkarabilir. Yine mirasbırakan, saklı paylı mirasçı kendisine veya aile üyelerine karşı aile hukukundan doğan yükümlülüklerini önemli ölçüde yerine getirmediği takdirde bu mirasçıyı ölüme bağlı bir tasarrufla mirasçılıktan çıkarabilir. Ancak ne söz konusu Kanun maddesinde ne de gerekçesinde, kimlerin mirasbırakanın yakını veya aile üyesi sayıldığı, hangi suçların ağır suç kapsamına girdiği, aile hukukundan doğan yükümlülüklerin önemli ölçüde yerine getirilmemesinden ne anlaşılması gerektiği belirtilmiştir. Konuya ilişkin yargı kararları birbiriyle çeliştiği gibi öğretide de farklı görüşler vardır. Bununla birlikte günümüzde mirasbırakanın tasarruf özgürlüğünün genişletilmesi yönündeki eğilimin giderek güçlendiği gözlenmektedir. Cezai mirasçılıktan çıkarma sebeplerine ilişkin Kanun’da açıkça düzenlenmeyen tartışmalı meselelerde de daima mirasbırakanın tasarruf özgürlüğünü genişleten yoruma üstünlük tanınmalıdır. Cezai mirasçılıktan çıkarmanın yaratacağı sonuçlar ise Türk Medeni Kanunu’nun 511. maddesinde düzenlenmiştir. Ancak bu hüküm ve sonuçların doğabilmesi için çıkarma sebebinin tasarrufta belirtilmesi gerekir. Aksi hâlde Türk Medeni Kanunu’nun 512. maddesine göre tasarruf mirasçının saklı payı dışında yerine getirilir. Yine bu hükme göre mirasçılıktan çıkarma sebebinin varlığının çıkarmadan yararlanan mirasçılar tarafından ispat edilemediği hâllerde de tasarruf, mirasçının saklı payı dışında yerine getirilir. Fakat mirasbırakanın mirasçılıktan çıkarmaya ilişkin tasarrufu çıkarma sebebi hakkında düştüğü yanılma yüzünden yaptığı hâllerde, saklı paylı mirasçı, mirasbırakanın sebep hakkında yanılmış olduğunu ispatlayarak tüm miras payını alabilir. Cezai mirasçılıktan çıkarma sebeplerinin veya bunlara benzer sebeplerin gerek miras hukukunda gerek miras hukuku dışında yarattığı farklı hüküm ve sonuçlar da bulunmaktadır.
This study aims to examine the disinheritance for criminal reasons comprehensively in accordance with the opinions of doctrine and judicial decisions.
According to article 510 of the Turkish Civil Code, for an heir with a reserved share to be disinherited, s/he must either commit a grave crime against the heir or one of his/her relatives, or significantly fail to fulfill his/her obligations arising from family law against the heir or his/her family members.
Since neither the article nor its preamble adequately explains what should be understood from these two conditions, it is necessary to refer to judicial decisions and doctrine on issues such as who should be understood as the relative or family member of the heir, which crimes should be considered grave crimes, and what should be understood as the significant nonfulfillment of obligations arising from family law.
However, there is no consensus on these issues. Considering the legislator’s attitude about extending the legator’s freedom to disposition, superiority should always be given to the interpretation that facilitates disinheritances in these issues.
We can summarize our conclusions based on this principle as follows.
In cases where both the reserved shared heir and the legator or his/her relatives are equally defective, the validity of the disinheritance should be accepted by giving precedence to the legator’s will.
Even if the victim does not know that the heir with a reserved share is a relative or family member of the benefactor, it should be accepted that the heir with a reserved share can be excluded from the inheritance.
The disinheritance should be possible based on the possibility that a reason that has not yet been occurred will occur in the future.
For the disinheritance to have a result, the reason must be stated in the disposition mortis causa. Otherwise, the dispositions are fulfilled except for the reserved share of the heir. According to Article 6 of the Turkish Civil Code, if a person has been disinherited objects to the disinheritance decision, the proof of the existence of the reason stated in the disposition falls to the heirs who benefit from the disinheritance.
In cases where the existence of the reason cannot be proven, the disposition mortis causa is carried out with the exception of the heir’s reserved share. Likewise, if the reason given in the disposition is insufficient, the same outcome should occur. However, in cases where the inheritor makes a mistake about the reason for disinheritance, the heir with the reserved share can obtain the entire inheritance by proving the error.
If the legator, who does not make a new disposition mortis causa, forgives the person s/he disinherited from the inheritance, the heir may obtain his/her reserved share in an action for reduction by proving that the legator has forgiven him/her.
Even if the legator forgives the heir, but removes the heir from the inheritance through a disposition mortal causa, the heir’s reserved share is not affected by the disinheritance.
If the legator makes a will or designates the disinherited heir as an heir, it must be determined whether these dispositions constitute a remission of the disinheritance.
It would not be incorrect to assert that disinheritance for criminal or similar reasons produces different results within and outside inheritance law.