Question
A man passes away leaving arrears on his shop water and lights accounts.
Will that arrears be deducted from the estate of the deceased person?
Answer
When a man passes away, his burial expenses should be first settled from the estate. Thereafter, his outstanding debts should be settled. If the debts encompass the entire estate to the extent that if the debts are settled the heirs will not receive any inheritance, then too the debts should be fully settled.
Outstanding municipal accounts that haven’t been paid are considered as outstanding debts of the deceased. It is therefore necessary that these debts are settled from the estate before distributing the assets of the Marhoom amongst the heirs.
Checked and Approved By:
Mufti Muhammed Saeed Motara Saheb D.B.