Swiss Civil Code (SCC)

Art. 550SCC from 2021

Art. 550 D. Presumption of death / IV. Procedure ex officio

IV. Procedure ex officio

¹ Where the missing person’s property or succession rights have been under official administration for ten years or more, or he or she would have reached the age of 100, at the request of the competent authority the declaration of presumed death is pronounced ex officio.

² If no rightful heirs come forward during the public notice period, the property of the person presumed dead passes to the state authority with right to succeed or, if he or she was never resident in Switzerland, to the canton of origin.

³ The local authority or canton concerned has the same duty of restitution as those put in possession of the estate towards the person presumed dead and parties with prevailing claims.