Inheritance in the Wizarding World

[Steve]

No: HPFGUIDX 95970

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "Eustace_Scrubb" <dk59us at y...>
wrote:


> 
> Now Eustace_Scrubb begins the inevitable splintering:
> 
> Now, if Sirius left "stuff" (galleons, mementoes, Grimmauld Place)
> to Harry, a minor, in his will, and said will was enforceable, it
> might well be that Harry's legal guardian(s) would be charged with
> shepherding those resources until he comes of age.  So who is/are
> Harry's guardians?  Petunia and Vernon Dursley?  Certainly the 
> muggle world sees them as legally responsible for their nephew... 
> ... perhaps the executor of the will or some other designated 
> individual would be the conservator --Dumbledore? Lupin?
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Eustace_Scrubb

bboy_mn:

True Vernon and Petunia are Harry's guardians but I don't think, even
with their knowledge of the existance of the wizard world, they would
be able to effectively manage the inheritance. Can you really picture
Uncle Vernon making a trip to Gringott's to discuss investment
opportunities with the Golbins? I don't think so.

So, it would seem reasonable to appoint someone in the wizard world
who would not only be able to look after Harry, but also effectively
and reliably look after his money. It's only for another year until
Harry is a legal adult (age 17) in the wizard world. 

Hopefully, it will be Arthur and Molly Weasley. That would make Harry
very very much a part of the Weasley family. About as close as he
could get short of adoption or marriage.

Personally, I like to fantasize that with all that time on his hands
in Grimmauld Place, Sirius took the time to sit down and make
provisions for Harry's future. I would like Sirius to leave his estate
to the Weasley's in Trust. That is, Sirius assigns the Weasleys as
guardians of Harry and administrators of the estate. And how very
lovely that typically the people who administer trusts and estates are
also paid very handsomely for their efforts. 

Result...? The whole Weasley clan moves into Grimmauld Place with
Harry. They go from living in a shack to living in a mansion and
earning a fair but substantial fee for administering the trust and
taking care of Harry. 

In the USA, many of these trust funds are 'staged' to protect the
young person. Usually, a small on-going stipend is paid out for the
young person's basic expenses. Then when they reach a certain age (18
or 21) or meet certain condition (married, college graduate, etc...)
they get all of or a significant part of the estate. Eventually, all
conditions are fulfilled and the entire estate is theirs.


As to the death of Sirius and all it's implicaitons, here is how I see
the events playing out.

First, Sirius's death will be kept a secret until such time as the
order has gathered all the proof it needs to clear Sirius's name.

The next step after clearing Sirius's name, is to make sure they,
Harry and the Order, have a KNOWN and favorable resolution to Sirius's
and the Black Family estates.

Then, that information will only be used, if it release serves the
Order. If proving Sirius is dead does not serve the Order or Harry,
then there is no point in making the information public. Also, there
is little point in bringing the issue to the public's attention that
Sirius is innocent, unless doing so is a prelude to establishing that
he is dead, and that Harry and/or the Order control his estate.

An additional point, there are actually TWO estates that need to be
settled, and they do not necessarily have to have the same resolution.
Sirius's personal estate is a separate issue from the Black Family
estate. Sirius's personal wealth has been accumulated from his own
efforts and from an inheritance from one of his uncles. That is not
governed by the same rules as the Black Family estate. 

Also, based on previous discussions, it seems that the battle over
Sirius's and the Black Family estate will be between Draco and Harry.
Generally, primary inheritance goes to the nearest first born male
heir. In this case, that is Draco. He is the first born son of
Sirius's first cousin.

I seriously doubt that Harry in his present state of mind is at all
concerned about Sirius's estate. He is far to interested in the man to
become obsessed with arguing over the man's possessions. So while
Harry is not concerned about the money or property, he will be
infuriated at the thought that it might all go to Draco, the son of
one of the men that I'm sure Harry blames for Sirius's death.

Resolution- I wouldn't go so far as to say that Draco comes out of
this with nothing, but I think certainly at minimum, Sirius's personal
estate will go to Harry, and I would hope that a substantial portion
of the Black Family estate would go to Harry as well as other Black
Family members. 

I am desperately hoping for a copy of Sirius's will to be found, in
which he leave something to Lupin and the Weasley's as well as Harry.

Just a few thoughts.

bboy_mn