30 January 2020 / Mag. Markus PEIER
Jurisprudence: Invalidity of foreign wills II

30 January 2020 / Mag. Markus PEIER
Following the decision of the Supreme Court of 26 June 2018, 2 Ob 192/17 z, a summary of which can be found on this website below, further decisions of the Supreme Court have recently been issued dealing with the issue of the formal validity of foreign wills. General information on the formal requirements of final disposition can also be found on this website below.
At the heart of these decisions is the question of the conditions under which a foreign final disposition consisting of several loose sheets is formally valid.
Im der Entscheidung vom 28. 11. 2019, 2 Ob 143/19 x, zugrunde liegenden Sachverhalt hat der Erblasser eine fremdhändige letztwillige Verfügung auf seinem Computer verfasst. Das Testament bestand aus zwei losen, in der Fußzeile mit Seitenzahlen („Seite 1 von 3“ usw) versehenen Blättern. Der Text des Testaments befand sich auf der Vorder- und der Rückseite des ersten Blattes. Auf der dritten Seite und somit dem zweiten Blatt befanden sich Ort und Datum, die handschriftliche nuncupatio mit den Worten „Das ist mein letzter Wille“ sowie die Unterschriften des Erblassers und der drei Zeugen samt Zusätzen.
In its current decision, the Supreme Court refers to the decision of 26 June 2018, 2 Ob 192/17 z, and states that in the case of a final disposition consisting of loose sheets, an external or internal document unit must be given. External unit of the document is therefore given if a uniform document is available. This may be assumed if the loose sheets are so tightly connected by binding, gluing or sewing that the connection can only be disconnected by destroying or damaging the document. The connection must also be established before or during the test procedure. In this particular case, the loose leaves were not bound, but kept as such in an envelope.
If there is no external document connection, the final disposition is nevertheless formally valid if there is an internal unit of the document, which may result, for example, from the continuation of the text over the separate sheets or from an undersigned note by the testator on the supplementary sheet with reference to his final disposition. The mere mention of the place and date does not establish the necessary context in terms of content, nor does the handwritten nuncupatio and the signatures of the deceased and the three witnesses, together with additions. The page numbering also does not establish a connection in terms of content, since it does not refer to the text of the final disposition.
In its decision of 28 November 2019, 2 Ob 145/19 s, the Supreme Court added that the attested note of the tester on the supplementary sheet must have a substantive reference to the final disposition.
Since failure to comply with mandatory formal requirements makes the final disposition invalid, it is strongly recommended that a legal adviser be contacted in the event of a final disposition. We are happy to assist you in the establishment of your last will and offer safe custody and registration of the last will in the Central Register of Wills.
The first consultation with the notary is free of charge.
Decision of the OGH 2 Ob 143/19 x of 28. 11. 2019.
Decision of the OGH 2 Ob 145/19 s from 28. 11. 2019.