EU sticking its fingers in Housing Pie

British citizens could have their homes snatched from them on the orders of a European court under a new Brussels power grab.

Plans for an EU shake-up of inheritance law will leave homeowners vulnerable to the potential loss of their property if it was ever owned by someone with relatives abroad.

Most European countries force citizens to leave a proportion of their estate to certain relatives, known as 'forced heirs'.

Under 'clawback' procedures outlawed in England forced heirs can undo property sales up to 30 years earlier if the deceased did not make adequate provision for his relatives in their will.

That means the relatives in France, Germany or Spain could stake a claim to property which has since been purchased by someone else in Britain.

Experts have warned that British citizens could lose their homes or be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds to the foreign relatives of previous owners.

From the comments;

This is exactly how the American War of Independance started!!!

Naploeonic property law is the worst in the world, the men and woman of the UK should start a "minutemen" style resistance to laws such as this.

I beleive this kind of folly from Europe could force organised resistance.

the UK must dismantle Euro legal madness or pull out altogether

- simon, london UK, 04/12/2009 12:05