Section 346 in Goa Succession, Special Notaries and Inventory Proceeding Act, 2012
346. Declaration of heirship.
(1)After the succession opens, and the law does not require that mandatory inventory proceedings be instituted to partition the inheritance, heirship may be proved by a deed of declaration of heirship drawn by the Special Notary.(2)Three persons and at least one of the interested parties shall have to declare on oath before the Special Notary that the interested party or parties named by them are the only heir or heirs of the deceased. If such deceased person was married, the name of the spouse shall also be disclosed and whether the spouse is surviving or has expired. The interested party shall also declare in the Act whether the value of the inheritance exceeds Rs. 10 lakhs or not shall disclose the names of the spouses of the heirs, if any.(3)The declarant's shall produce the following documents:-(a)death certificate of the deceased;(b)will or gift deed mortis causa, when the succession is founded on such document;(c)document to prove the relationship of the heir or heirs to the deceased;(4)Where a party is unable to produce a birth certificate, death certificate or a marriage certificate issued by the authorities, the party may produce an order or decree of the court certifying such birth, death or marriage or a certified copy issued by an institution maintaining such records.(5)When all the interested parties are abroad, a constituted attorney with special powers may make the declaration required under sub-section (2).(6)A person, who under the provisions of this chapter is not competent to be a witness and a person who is a successor of the presumed heir, shall not be competent to be a declarant.(7)If the declarant's or the interested party or parties or their attorneys, are found to have knowingly made a false declaration, with regard to the particulars required under sub-section (2), they shall be liable for penal action under section 191 and 199 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860).(8)The fact that any person has been brought on record in Court proceedings other than inventory proceedings as legal representative of the deceased, shall not amount to a declaration of heirship.(9)A deed of declaration of heirship shall be sufficient evidence for the purpose of:-(i)mutation;(ii)transfer of shares;(iii)withdrawal of money from a bank or other financial institution where the deposit does not exceed Rs. 50,000/- Provided that where there is only one heir, there is no restriction on withdrawal of any amount from the deposit.(10)The fee or duty on a deed of declaration of heirship shall be as prescribed, on each inheritance opened, irrespective of the number of heirs.(11)The Special Notary recording the deed of declaration of heirship shall, at the expense of the interested party or parties, publish within 15 days, an extract of the declaration, disclosing the name and permanent residence of the deceased and the names of the interested parties and other identification particulars, in the Government Gazette. When the value of inheritance exceeds Rs. 10 lakhs in all, such extract shall also be published in a newspaper in circulation in the locality where the deed is drawn. The Special Notary shall require the interested party or parties to advance the expenses towards the publication of the notice.(12)Any person claiming to be an heir of the deceased who has not been named in the declaration may file a suit for declaration of heirship and consequential reliefs. If such suit is filed, a notice thereof shall forthwith be given by the Court to the respective Special Notary or by the Plaintiff in the suit, enclosing a certified copy of the plaint.(13)If the Special Notary has not received any notice from the Court or the Plaintiff, he shall, within 30 days of the publication of the extract, issue a certified copy of declaration of heirship, which shall contain an endorsement that no such communication of institution of any suit has been received by him.(14)Failure to file suit under sub-section (12), shall not deprive the aggrieved party to challenge the deed of declaration within the period of limitation.
