Court orders US$30,916 estate payment after home is allocated

The Court of First Instance of Sint Maarten ruled on Tuesday 13 October that a home in an estate should be allocated to four heirs. The court ordered them to pay US$30,916 to another heir as that heir’s one-fifth share of the estate.

According to the court’s first-instance judgment, the amount may be paid in two equal instalments of US$15,458. The first is due by 30 December 2026 and the second by 30 December 2027. The ruling is enforceable immediately, including if a party asks the Court of Appeal to review it.

The court used US$508,270 as the home’s value, the average of two valuations of US$506,540 and US$510,000. It included half of that value in the estate, then deducted US$83,055 for half of a Cg 299,000 refinanced mortgage debt and US$16,500 for half of estimated maintenance costs.

The court calculated the estate balance at US$154,580 and divided it among five heirs. It rejected a request to delay the division for three years and denied a request for a payment for use of the home. Each party must pay its own legal costs.