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Gallery 05

Died without a will

Chaos. The law it tested: intestacy: the state writes the will.

60 storiesChaosIntestacy: the state writes the will
A Rake's Progress, Plate 1, The Young Heir Takes Possession of the Miser's Effectstitle QS:P1476,en:"A Rake's Progress, , painting by William Hogarth
A Rake's Progress, Plate 1, The Young Heir Takes Possession of the Miser's Effectstitle QS:P1476,en:"A Rake's Progress, . William Hogarth, 1735date QS:P571,+1735-00-00T0. Public domain, Wikimedia Commons.

What did these cases decide about intestacy: the state writes the will?

Without a will, state intestacy law picks the heirs, and the court must rule on every claim of kinship before the estate can be divided. When the heirs of an intestate estate hold it through a family corporation, a board majority can vote to sell heirlooms over another heir's objection. A musician with no will leaves his band partnership, his songs and his instruments to whoever survives him, and each becomes a separate lawsuit.

Stories
60
Years
1703 to 2024
Main subjects
Music and sport, Literature and art, Secret heirs
Main regions
North America, Europe, South Asia
Updated
30 October 2026

Every case in this gallery, best-known first

Best-known first: cases from 1900 on, then the United States, then Europe, and the people most read about on English Wikipedia each month. Fiction, scripture and legend come last.

Pablo Picasso: Pablo picasso 11973 · Mougins, FrancePicasso died with no will and about 43,000 works, and the French state took its tax in paintingsPicasso died at 91 at Mougins. He left no will. The auctioneer Maurice Rheims counted 1,885 paintings, more than 1,200 sculptures, about 7,000 drawings, 3,222 ceramics and about 30,000 prints.Internet Archive and 3 morePrince at Coachella 001: Prince performing at Coachella 2008.2016 · Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, USAPrince died without a will, more than 45 people claimed to be his relatives, and his estate took 6 years and a tax court case to dividePrince was found unresponsive in an elevator at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, on 21 April 2016, aged 57. An autopsy found fentanyl toxicity. He left no will, spouse or children.nbcwashington.com and 16 moreMartin Luther King Jr.: Martin Luther King, Jr. and Lyndon Johnson (cropped)1968 · Memphis, Tennessee, USAMartin Luther King Jr.'s estate sued his daughter in 2014 to take his Nobel medal and Bible for sale, and a judge locked both in a bank boxMartin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, on 4 April 1968. He left no will, and his estate passed to his widow, Coretta Scott King, and their 4 children.law.resource.org and 12 moreKurt Cobain: Nirvana around 1992 (cropped)1994 · Seattle, WashingtonKurt Cobain left no will; his widow sued his bandmates for Nirvana, sold a quarter of his songs, and his Unplugged guitar went to his daughter's ex-husbandKurt Cobain shot himself above the garage of his $1.1 million Lake Washington home. Papers filed in King County Superior Court said he apparently left no will.The Seattle Times and 7 moreBob Marley: Bob Marley circa 1976 (cropped)1981 · Cedars of Lebanon Hospital, MiamiBob Marley died without a will, and his widow forged his signature to move his companies into her nameBob Marley died of cancer at 36. He left no will, a wife, Rita, and 11 children by several women. Under Jamaican intestacy law Rita received 10 percent outright and a life interest in 45 percent; the 11 children shared the rest.FindLaw Caselaw and 3 moreThe Notorious B.I.G.: Image of the Notorious BIG in NY1997 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaThe Notorious B.I.G.'s mother and widow co-owned his catalog; after the mother died, her trustee sued the widow and wonChristopher Wallace was shot dead in Los Angeles at 24. He left no will. His mother, Voletta Wallace, and his widow, Faith Evans, took charge of his legacy.thegrio.com and 5 moreAretha Franklin 1968: Publicity photo of Aretha Franklin from Billboard, 17 February 1968. The uploaded photo is a better quality copy of the image shown in the ad. There are no co2018 · Detroit, Michigan, USAAretha Franklin's 2014 will was found in a notebook under her couch cushions, a jury upheld it in 2023, and her estate was still open in 2026Aretha Franklin died of pancreatic cancer on 16 August 2018, aged 76. Lawyers and family said she left no will or trust.wdet.org and 8 moreChadwick Boseman: Chadwick Boseman by Gage Skidmore July 2017 (cropped)2020 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaChadwick Boseman died in 2020 without a will, and his widow filed in Los Angeles to run an estate first listed at $938,500Chadwick Boseman died on 28 August 2020 of colon cancer at 43. He had married Taylor Simone Ledward shortly before his death. He left no will.today.com and 3 moreMarvin Gaye: Marvin Gaye in 19731984 · Los Angeles, CaliforniaMarvin Gaye was shot dead by his father, left no will and $9 million in debt, and his children won the "Blurred Lines" caseMarvin Gaye was shot by his father, Marvin Gay Sr., at the family home in Los Angeles the day before his 45th birthday. His father pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter and received a suspended sentence and probation.investmentnews.com and 2 moreJames Dean: James Dean in Rebel Without a Cause (HQ)1955 · near Cholame, CaliforniaJames Dean died without a will, his father inherited, his wrecked Porsche vanished in 1960, and his estate sued Twitter over @JamesDeanJames Dean died at 24 when his Porsche 550 Spyder hit another car near Cholame on 30 September 1955. He had made three films and no will.The Seattle Times and 5 moreJean-Michel Basquiat: Jean-Michel Basquiat passport (cropped)1988 · New YorkBasquiat died at 27; his estate shut its authentication board, and the FBI later seized 25 fake Basquiats from a museumBasquiat died of an accidental heroin overdose at his home on Great Jones Street. His estate was controlled by his father, Gérard Basquiat. No will has been reported.itsartlaw.org and 4 moreNipsey Hussle: Soundtrack Beat Battle Judging Panel March2011 (cropped)2019 · Los Angeles, California, USANipsey Hussle was shot dead outside his store, and his family took guardianship of his daughter from her motherNipsey Hussle, born Ermias Asghedom, was shot dead in the parking lot of his store in South Los Angeles. He left no will but had set up trusts for his two children, daughter Emani and son Kross.okayplayer.com and 3 moreDimebag Darrell: Dimebag at Monsters of Rock 19942004 · Columbus, OhioDimebag Darrell was shot dead on stage with no will; his girlfriend of two decades was left out, later took over his estate's trust, and lost most of its suit against Dean Guitars in 2026Darrell Abbott was shot on stage at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus during a Damageplan show. He left no will.blabbermouth.net and 4 moreBillie Holiday: Portrait of Billie Holiday and Mister, Downbeat, New York, N.Y., ca. Feb. 1947 (LOC, 5020400274, cropped)1959 · Metropolitan Hospital, New YorkBillie Holiday died under arrest in a hospital bed with 70 cents in the bankBillie Holiday was admitted to Metropolitan Hospital on 31 May 1959 with cirrhosis and heart disease. Federal narcotics agents said they found heroin in her room, put her under arrest in her bed, and posted a police guard.legacy.com and 2 moreAmy Winehouse: Amy Winehouse f4962007 crop2011 · Camden, LondonAmy Winehouse's father sued her friends over $1.2 million from her dresses and lostAmy Winehouse died of alcohol poisoning at 27 without a will. Under English intestacy rules her parents inherited, and her father, Mitch Winehouse, became administrator of the estate.wtop.com and 2 moreJimi Hendrix: Jimi Hendrix (1967) (cropped)1970 · Samarkand Hotel, Notting Hill, LondonJimi Hendrix died with no will, and his father's will later cut his brother out of an $80 million estateJimi Hendrix died in London aged 27; the inquest returned an open verdict. He had no will. His father, Al Hendrix, was his sole heir. The estate was worth about $500,000 in 1970.The Seattle Times and 3 moreGil Scott-Heron: Gil Scott-Heron2011 · New York CityGil Scott-Heron died with no will; his daughter said a DNA test showed his son was not his, and a Manhattan court ruled the son was an heirGil Scott-Heron died in New York aged 62 after a trip to Europe. No will was found. He left three daughters, Raquiyah "Nia" Kelly-Heron, Gia Scott-Heron and Chegianna Newton, and a son, Rumal Rackley.Internet Archive and 3 moreLiam Payne: One Direction NRJ 2013 22024 · Buenos Aires, ArgentinaLiam Payne fell from a Buenos Aires hotel balcony with no will, and his £24 million went to his seven-year-old sonLiam Payne fell from a third-floor balcony at the CasaSur Hotel in Palermo, Buenos Aires.tribune.com.pk and 3 moreGeorge Gershwin: George Gershwin, 28 March 19371937 · Los Angeles, California, United StatesGeorge Gershwin died at 38 without a will, and the Gershwin trusts lobbied Congress for 20 more years of copyrightGeorge Gershwin died of a brain tumour at 38. He had no wife, no children and no will. A 1938 report put his net estate at $341,089, all of it to his mother, Rose, with Rhapsody in Blue appraised as the most valuable asset.Library of Congress and 5 moreAleister Crowley: Aleister Crowley, thinker1947 · Netherwood, Hastings, England; California, USAAleister Crowley died with £430 and left his writings to his order, and a federal court decided in 1985 which of the rival orders owned themAleister Crowley headed the Ordo Templi Orientis from about 1921 and died at a Hastings boarding house on 1 December 1947. His solicitors reported about £430 in cash and saw no point in proving the will until the assets were clear.aleistercrowleytimeline.com and 3 moreScott Joplin: Scott Joplin in 19121917 · Manhattan State Hospital, Ward's Island, New York, UnitScott Joplin died in a state hospital without a will, his papers were lost in a trustee's estate, and his widow's trust won $177,980 in 1977Scott Joplin sold Maple Leaf Rag in 1899 for $50 and a royalty of one cent a copy. He spent his money trying to stage his opera Treemonisha, which failed at a 1915 reading.academic.oup.com and 3 moreAI illustration: A grave covered in flowers and candles among the tombs of Père Lachaise cemetery, Paris, one single continuous view1971 · Paris, FranceJim Morrison left everything to Pamela Courson; she died three years later without a will, and both sets of parents fought for The Doors' moneyJim Morrison was found dead in a Paris bathtub at 27. No autopsy was done, and he was buried at Père Lachaise cemetery. His will left everything to his companion, Pamela Courson.hackardlaw.com and 2 moreVivian Maier: www.mediodescocido.com.ar2009 · ChicagoVivian Maier was a nanny who died unknown; after her photographs sold, Cook County took over her estate to find out who owned themMaier worked as a nanny in Chicago and photographed the streets for decades without showing anyone. Her negatives were sold from a storage locker at auction in 2007 for unpaid rent.news.wttw.com and 3 moreAI illustration: A small churchyard at Laugardælir, Iceland, in winter light, 20102008 · Reykjavík, IcelandIceland exhumed Bobby Fischer to test a girl's paternity claim, and the DNA said noBobby Fischer became world chess champion by beating Boris Spassky in Reykjavík in 1972. Wanted in the United States for playing a 1992 match in Yugoslavia, he was given Icelandic citizenship in 2005.UPI and 4 morePeter Tosh: BushDoctor1978 (cropped2)1987 · his home, Kingston, JamaicaPeter Tosh died without a will; his ten children fought in a Manhattan court over his royaltiesPeter Tosh left no will. A court-appointed lawyer ran his estate for about 22 years. In 2009 his youngest child, Niambe McIntosh, took over as administrator. The estate earned about $150,000 to $300,000 a year.blackamericaweb.com and 3 moreTakeoff: Rapper Takeoff performing on stage in in Toronto in 2017. Photo by Charito Yap.2022 · 810 Billiards & Bowling, Houston, TexasTakeoff of Migos was shot dead with no will; his mother and father are fighting over the money the bowling alley paid for his deathKirsnick Khari Ball, known as Takeoff, was shot dead at 28 at a private party at a Houston bowling alley. He left no will. One report put his estate at $26 million.complex.com and 4 moreAI illustration: A probate court file on a desk in White Plains, New York, 20212021 · White Plains, New YorkDMX died without a will, leaving 15 children, a fiancée the court would not recognize, and an estate valued under $1 millionDMX, born Earl Simmons, died at 50 after a heart attack. He left no will. Under New York intestacy law his legal children inherit equally. Rival petitions reached the Westchester County Surrogate's Court within weeks.xxlmag.com and 3 moreOl' Dirty Bastard: Ol' Dirty Bastard, an American rapper, performing on MTV. He is wearing a blue jacket, and against a black background2004 · New York CityOl' Dirty Bastard died without a will; his widow sued the Wu-Tang Clan for royalties while his children said they had received nothingRussell Jones, known as Ol' Dirty Bastard, died of an accidental drug overdose two days before his 36th birthday. He had no will, so New York law decided who inherited.blackenterprise.com and 1 moreTupac Shakur: Tupac Shakur in 19951996 · Las Vegas, NevadaTupac's mother beat his absent father in court and built his estate; her executor was then sued by Tupac's sisterTupac Shakur was shot in a drive-by in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996 and died six days later, aged 25. He left no will. His biological father, Billy Garland, sought half the estate.Los Angeles Times and 4 moreAI illustration: A rented room on Webster Avenue, Chicago, piled with handmade books and painted scrolls, 19731973 · ChicagoAbout 50 distant cousins of Henry Darger sued the landlords who saved his art, 49 years after his deathDarger was a hospital janitor who lived alone in one rented room. His landlords, Nathan and Kiyoko Lerner, found thousands of pages of writing and large illustrated panels in the room when he left.The Art Newspaper and 3 moreFela Kuti: Fela Kuti circa 19861997 · Lagos, NigeriaFela Kuti's brother announced he died of AIDS, he was buried in his own courtyard, and his estate signed with WME 26 years laterFela Anikulapo-Kuti married 27 women publicly and supported a household of more than 100 people. He died in a Lagos hospital at 58.ipsnews.net and 5 moreAI illustration: A notarized paper on a New York lawyer's desk, 1970s1973 · New YorkMario Lalli called Robert "my son" in a notarized paper, and the Supreme Court still let New York shut him out of the estateMario Lalli died in New York on 7 January 1973 without a will. His widow, Rosamond Lalli, became administratrix. Robert Lalli said he was Mario's son, born outside marriage, and asked for an accounting of the estate.Cornell Law School, LII and 1 morePaul Gauguin: Paul Gauguin Wearing a Breton Jacket1903 · Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas IslandsPaul Gauguin died in the Marquesas with no will, the colony auctioned his paintings for a few francs, and his widow Mette got about 4,000 francsPaul Gauguin died at his house, the Maison du Jouir, in Atuona on 8 May 1903, aged 54.giquelloetassocies.fr and 3 moreRobert Mugabe: Robert Mugabe Official Portrait (4x5 cropped)2019 · Kutama, Zvimba district, ZimbabweRobert Mugabe left about $10 million and no will, and a village chief fined his widow five cows and ordered his body dug upRobert Mugabe ruled Zimbabwe for 37 years until a coup in November 2017. He died in Singapore on 6 September 2019, aged 95.Al Jazeera and 2 moreAI illustration: A will in an envelope in a mail tray, 20252020 · New London, Connecticut, USA (house fire)Zappos founder Tony Hsieh died with no will, and five years later a will appeared in the mail naming a witness who may not existTony Hsieh sold Zappos to Amazon and spent his fortune remaking downtown Las Vegas. He died at 46 after a fire in New London, Connecticut. No will was found. A Clark County judge appointed his father, Richard Hsieh, administrator.yahoo.com and 3 moreSurrogate's Office, Richmond, Staten Island, N.Y (NYPL b15279351-104593): * Postcard categories and title comments in brackets [ ] provided by collector, Catherine Robinson.2012 · Staten Island, New York, USARoman Blum left about $40 million and no will in 2012, a Surrogate's Court threw out a will naming a disbarred lawyer, and a Moscow man says he is the great-grandsonRoman Blum survived the Holocaust and became a real estate developer on Staten Island. He died in 2012 at 97 with about $40 million and no will. His lawyer, Herb Nass, said he had urged him to make one.CBS News and 3 moreAI illustration: A petrochemical complex on the Taiwan coast2008 · Taipei and BermudaFormosa Plastics' founder died without a will, and his son sued to unwind $15 billion placed in Bermuda trustsWang Yung-ching founded Formosa Plastics and became one of Taiwan's richest men. He died in 2008 in New Jersey, reportedly without a will. Much of his wealth had been moved into Bermuda trusts holding Formosa Plastics shares.Internet Archive and 3 moreJorge Luis Borges: Jorge Luis Borges 1951, by Grete Stern (full)1986 · Geneva, SwitzerlandBorges left everything to the woman he married seven weeks before he died; she died without a willMaría Kodama became Jorge Luis Borges's literary secretary after his mother died in 1975. Borges left her his author's rights in a 1979 will and his whole estate in 1985.The New York Times and 3 moreAI illustration: An old car parked on a Chicago street, 1970s1974 · Chicago, IllinoisA court had ordered Sherman Gordon to support his daughter, but Illinois gave his only asset, a $2,500 car, to his parents and siblingsSherman Gordon lived in Chicago with Jessie Trimble and their daughter, Deta Mona, from 1970. On 2 January 1973 an Illinois circuit court found him to be Deta Mona's father and ordered him to pay $15 a week in support.Cornell Law School, LIIMap of North Carolina, marked on the globe1970 · near Beaufort, Carteret County, North Carolina, USATwo brothers spent eight years in jail for refusing to leave their grandfather's heirs' property on Silver Dollar RoadIn 1911 the brothers' great-grandfather bought 65 acres on the water in Carteret County. The family shrimped, crabbed and fished there.abc11.com and 3 moreOregon Supreme Court Building circa 1922: Oregon Supreme Court Building in Salem. From: Carey, Charles Henry. (1922). History of Oregon. Pioneer Historical Publishing Co.1962 · Oregon, USA; East GermanyOregon claimed a dead woman's estate because her only heirs lived in East Germany, and the Supreme Court ruled in 1968 that a state cannot run its own Cold War through probateAn Oregon resident, Pauline Schrader, died without a will in 1962. Her only heirs, including Oswald Zschernig, lived in East Germany.Cornell Law School, LII and 3 morePortrait of Isaac Newton (1642-1727)label QS:Lde,"Porträt des Isaac Newton (1642-1727)"label QS:Len,"Portrait of Isaac N: Portrait of Isaac Newton (1642-1727)label QS:Lde,"Porträt 1727 · London, EnglandIsaac Newton died without a will, and his heirs held his alchemy and theology papers for 209 years before selling them for £9,000Isaac Newton died on 31 March 1727, aged 84. He left no will and no instructions for his manuscripts, though he burned some papers in his last weeks. His estate was worth about £30,000, mostly stock and annuities.newtonproject.ox.ac.uk and 2 moreAI illustration: Claimants to the Garrett estate queue to file at Philadelphia City Hall, 1930s1930 · Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaA Philadelphia widow left $17 million and no will, and 26,000 people claimed to be her heirsHenrietta E. Garrett, born Schaeffer, died intestate as to a residuary estate of over $17,000,000. Nearly 26,000 claims were filed in the Orphans' Court of Philadelphia County by people saying they were her next of kin.Caselaw Access Project, Harvard Law School and 2 moreLaurel Hill Cemetery Advertisement (1904): Laurel Hill Cemetery Advertisement (1904) From "Philadelphia: The Birthplace of the Nation, The Pivot of Industry, The City of Homes" by 1930 · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USAHenrietta Garrett died in 1930 with $17 million and no will; more than 25,000 people claimed to be her kin, ten went to jail, and three cousins she never met inheritedHenrietta Garrett was a childless widow who lived almost as a hermit in Philadelphia. She died on 16 November 1930 with no will and a residuary estate of about $17 million.legalgenealogist.com and 2 moreDuchy of Lancaster offices 2020: The Duchy of Lancaster offices, at 1 Lancaster Place, Strand, London WC2, viewed from the Victoria Embankment. It flies the Duchy flag. The taller 2023 · County Palatine of Lancaster, EnglandPeople in the old county of Lancashire who die with no will and no kin leave their estates to the King, and the Guardian found the money refurbishing his rental propertyIn England and Wales the estate of someone who dies with no valid will and no heir under the intestacy rules goes to the Crown, usually through the Treasury Solicitor.theconversation.com and 2 moreAI illustration: Probate files tied with tape on a shelf in a Saarland district court, 19981998 · Saarland, GermanyA German woman born in 1948 lost her father's estate to relatives he never met, and Europe's human rights court ruled for herBrigitte Brauer was born in 1948 in Oberschwöditz, in what became East Germany. Her father, Mr Schildgen, recognised her a few months after the birth. He lived in West Germany.European Court of Human Rights and 3 moreKottayam Cheria Pally01: Cheria Pally Church outside in Kottayam, Kerala, India selfmade by pitichinaccio, 26 Dec 20051960 · Kottayam, Kerala, IndiaMary Roy's brother told her to leave their father's cottage, she sued, and the Supreme Court gave Kerala's Syrian Christian daughters equal shares back to 1951Mary Roy's father, the entomologist P. V. Isaac, died without a will.LiveLaw and 3 moreDame Fanny Lucy Houston (née Radmall) when Lady Byron: Dame Fanny Lucy Houston (née Radmall) photogravure, published 19091926 · aboard the yacht Liberty, off JerseyA shipowner's widow reportedly tore up a will leaving her £1 million, inherited about £5.5 million, and died without a will of her ownFanny Lucy Radmall married Sir Robert Houston, a director of the Houston shipping lines, on 12 December 1924. Wikipedia reports that when he showed her his will, she tore it up, saying £1 million was not enough.Time and 2 moreRobert Hooke: Portrait of a Mathematician 1680c1703 · London, EnglandRobert Hooke said he would endow the Royal Society, died without a will, and cousins he barely knew took the moneyRobert Hooke was curator of experiments at the Royal Society and a professor at Gresham College. After the Great Fire of 1666 he became one of three official surveyors for rebuilding London, the best-paid work of his life.mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk and 2 moreAvicii: Avicii 2014 003cr2018 · Muscat, OmanAvicii died at 28 without a will; his parents inherited about $25 million and sold 75 percent of his catalogTim Bergling, who recorded as Avicii, died at 28. He was not married and had no children, and he left no will. Under Swedish law his estate passed to his parents, Klas Bergling and Anki Lidén.dancingastronaut.com and 2 moreMap of India, marked on the globe2016 · Chennai, Tamil Nadu, IndiaJayalalithaa left no will; a court gave her house to her niece and nephew, and the state took 21 kilos of her goldJ. Jayalalithaa, a former film actress, was Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. She died in December 2016, unmarried and without children. On 27 May 2020 the Madras High Court declared her niece J. Deepa and nephew J.LiveLaw and 4 moreAI illustration: An oil refinery at Jamnagar, Gujarat, lit up at night2002 · Breach Candy Hospital, MumbaiDhirubhai Ambani died without a will; one son became Asia's richest man and the other told a court he was worth zeroDhirubhai Ambani founded Reliance and built it into one of India's largest groups. He died at 69 with no will and no succession plan. His sons, Mukesh and Anil, ran the group together.tribuneindia.com and 3 moreConstitutionalCourtofSouthAfrica-20070622: The Constitutional Court of South Africa at Constitution Hill, Braamfontein, Johannesburg.2002 · Khayelitsha, Cape Town, South AfricaSouth Africa's Constitutional Court made two Khayelitsha girls sole heirs of their father and struck down male primogeniture in 2004Vuyo Elius Mgolombane, a carpenter, lived from 1990 with Nontupheko Bhe, a domestic worker, in a temporary informal shelter in Khayelitsha.collections.concourt.org.za and 4 moreMap of India, marked on the globe1999 · Delhi, IndiaVineeta Sharma's father died in 1999 and the Delhi courts said she was too late to share the family property; the Supreme Court made every Hindu daughter a co-owner by birthUnder the Mitakshara school of Hindu law, sons own a share of ancestral property from birth as coparceners. Daughters did not.api.sci.gov.in and 3 moreKam Tin Tree House - 2007-09-30 13h55m08s SN200780: Kam Tin Tree House (An old banyan tree grew bigger and bigger besides the stone house, and after centuries, there're only part o1994 · Yuen Long, New Territories, Hong KongA Yuen Long woman's brother drove her from their father's house, and village women made Hong Kong let daughters inherit New Territories land in 1994In the New Territories, land held by indigenous villagers passed under Chinese custom. When there was no will, only sons inherited family property. Villagers rarely wrote wills, which many saw as a bad omen.varsity.com.cuhk.edu.hk and 2 moreMap of Kenya, marked on the globe1986 · Nairobi and Nyamila, Nyalgunga, Siaya County, KenyaKenya's Court of Appeal gave S.M. Otieno's body to his brother and clan over his widow's objection, and he lay unburied for 140 daysSilvano Melea Otieno, a prominent Nairobi lawyer, was pronounced dead on arrival at Nairobi Hospital on 20 December 1986. He left no will.recordoflaw.in and 4 moreA residential area in Umuahia: A residential area in Umuahia1981 · Lagos, NigeriaNigeria's Supreme Court upheld Gladys Ukeje's share of her father's Lagos estate and declared the Igbo rule excluding daughters void in 2014Lazarus Ogbonnaya Ukeje, a native of Umuahia, lived most of his life in Lagos and owned real property there. He died intestate in December 1981.journals.unizik.edu.ng and 4 moreAI illustration: The Khas Bagh palace of the Nawabs of Rampur, 19661966 · Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaThe Nawab of Rampur's eldest son took all his private property in 1966; after 53 years the Supreme Court split it among 16 heirsNawab Raza Ali Khan signed Rampur over to India on 15 May 1949. He kept a tax-free privy purse of 7 lakh rupees and his private properties, which he listed in orders of 31 May and 27 June 1949. He died intestate on 6 March 1966.api.sci.gov.in and 2 moreAI illustration: An unsigned will found in William Jennens's coat pocket at Acton Place, Suffolk, 17981798 · Acton Place, SuffolkWilliam Jennens died with an unsigned will in his pocket, and claimants fought over his fortune until 1915William Jennens lived alone in the basement of Acton Place near Long Melford. The Bury and Norwich Post called him "the richest commoner in England" and said his property exceeded £2 million. Historians put it nearer £1.1 million.Journal article (DOI) and 5 moreE. View of Bellary Fort: East View of Bellary zFort1842 · Bellary (Ballari), Karnataka, IndiaA Bellary liquor contractor died without a will, his brother claimed the estate as a Hindu joint family, and the Privy Council asked how the family livedMatthew Abraham was an Indian Roman Catholic of modest origins who grew rich from the liquor contract, arms trading and moneylending in Bellary and Kurnool. The family distanced itself from its Paraiyar (Dalit) ancestry.assets.cambridge.org and 2 more