Thousands of unclaimed Israeli real estate assets totaling 15 billion Israeli Shekels remain unclaimed in Israel. Some of these Israeli properties are owned by Jewish Holocaust victims who invested before or after Israel was created or founded; others are owned by individuals who themselves or their heirs resided in other parts of the world. These dormant, abandoned assets include land, developed real estate, bank accounts, stocks, and bonds.

For many years, I have helped families reclaim their Israeli property and asset inheritance. I know first-hand the challenges facing their cases, some of which are:

• Proving ownership,
• Understanding the capital gains tax implications,
• Ensuring smooth probate (or probates),
• Receiving an Israeli Inheritance Order and a successful sale of the land.

The below guide covers How To Find and Win the Case in Recovering Abandoned Property, Land, and Real Estate in Israel, including:

• The Estate Process for Reclaiming Abandoned Land in Israel
• Getting the Right Attorney and Advice Early
• Unclaimed dormant Israeli bank accounts and Israeli Assets (funds, insurance policies, bank accounts, etc.)

Proving Ownership of Dormant Israeli Property

The beneficiaries/heirs often don’t know about the inherited abandoned property or estate in Israel. Their grandparent may have purchased the land a minimum of 70-90 years ago, and since it remained of little value for decades, eventually, they may have forgotten or abandoned it. Sometimes, the heirs have a vague idea that there may be an asset or property in Israel, but more often, they receive a letter from the state notifying them of the unclaimed Israeli real estate or land.

Abandoned property in the State of Israel is defined in Israel’s Law as an asset to which no one is entitled and can be treated as an owner or an asset whose owner is unknown.

Determining ownership of lost land, abandoned or unclaimed real estate, and financial assets in Israel needs a diligent Israeli attorney with a deep understanding of Israeli real estate, inheritance, and probate laws who specializes in conducting a proper investigation to trace land and asset ownership and have vast experience in these cases.

Reclaiming an Israeli Inheritance: Documentation of Ownership

In most cases, the title and ownership of the asset are still listed under the name of the original buyer(s), who passed away many years ago. Proving relations to the original owner(s) involves a detailed process that begins with drawing up a family tree.

In the initial consultation, I review the available documents with the client and the family and recommend a strategy for their unclaimed Israeli inheritance case. Yet, I always get an even clearer picture once I see the family tree and analyze its marriage relationships and bloodlines to determine how the Israeli inheritance passes to its legal heirs.

The order in which ancestors passed away can influence how unclaimed Israeli property is divided among direct and indirect heirs. For this reason, we gather all relevant data to clarify the family tree’s lineage and chronology.

The most efficient way for our clients to get started in reclaiming dormant estates or real estate in Israel is to provide our firm with all supportive documents for the owner and all heirs who have passed away, including:

• Wills, Trusts, Codicil documents, and probate court orders.
• Identification documents
• Death certificates
• Birth certificates
• Brit Milah documentation
• Naturalization documentation
• Passport information
• ANY supportive document signed by the deceased whose name is on the title, aka Tabu.

These family documents build genealogical evidence to accomplish two things: verify original legal ownership and substantiate the rightful heirs in one scheme.

Often, gathering documentation for Israeli inheritance property cases requires an organized effort supported by our legal team. Whether the family has only a few heirs and fewer documents to assemble, or the owner’s and heirs’ countries of residence vary, we recommend that the family appoints a single point of contact. This individual collects all documentation and communicates with all relatives involved, ensuring a streamlined process.

Locating the Unclaimed Property in Israel

While confirming ownership, I successfully help clients search for and find abandoned land or assets in Israel.

Providing the owner’s identification or passport number may help locate the dormant property or estate in Israel. Our firm uses this information to determine the landowner’s current and, if different, historic title, as well as his or her Israeli ID (or Palestinian ID before 1948) or international ID number from the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Europe, Australia, or another country of residence.

I guide you through the documents that will be most beneficial and determine when updated or additional documentation is needed to locate the dormant property. My legal team provides the latest resources and due diligence to speed up the process of locating any land in Israel.

In these initial steps, we ensure a thorough understanding of the case by meticulously gathering all necessary documentation to validate the family tree and to locate the unclaimed property. This allows us to accurately estimate the value of an Israeli inheritance property to its heirs and outline the many steps the case will follow, providing a sense of security and clarity to the families involved.

Finding and Estimating A Property’s Value in Israel

Pursuing abandoned Israeli property cases can yield fruitful returns for the heirs, but some cases could lead to a dead end. A skilled Israeli attorney specializing in reclaiming Israeli property and assets can spot issues early and inform you of matters that may complicate a case or reduce its estimated final value.

Understanding the Israeli real estate market is critical to understanding the potential value of the property’s eventual sale and its anticipated value to the heirs. Reclaiming an Israeli inheritance property involves many factors, so it helps to have an experienced Israeli attorney who can advise on the entire process from start to sale.

My 20+ years in Israeli real estate and abandoned land enhanced my legal specialization in reclaiming Israeli properties. Clients find it very informative and productive in their decision-making to inquire about both the legal process and the end goal of selling the property. As an added benefit, we save our clients from paying brokerage fees and utilize our resources and experience to support a smooth sale for the heirs.

Capital Gains and Historical Taxes for Unclaimed Israeli Assets

Another factor in determining the value of a case is the tax implications of the dormant property or unclaimed Israeli asset. Although Israel does not have any inheritance, succession, or estate tax, depending on the type of asset, a capital gains tax is assessed when selling the property. Also, the year the owner purchased the property may require a different tax bracket. For example, any land purchased before 1948 will have a historical tax.

Our firm has vast experience in tax planning and will significantly reduce the tax implications by creating a capital gains tax plan and submitting an appeal to optimize a case’s overall return from the land sale.

Israeli Probate: Confirming and Transferring Ownership

Once all documentation has been prepared and the case deemed practical to pursue, we begin the probate process, which seeks the release of the Israeli dormant property or asset and the transfer of its ownership to the rightful heirs.

I assist the direct and indirect heirs with locating and reclaiming Israel’s abandoned property, estates, and other dormant assets. Whether a client wishes to reclaim land or any other financial asset in Israel, the asset can be released from the State of Israel only by a probate process—or multiple processes—and a family court order that will determine the rightful heirs and new owners.

Steps in an Israeli Probate Process

The Israeli probate/inheritance/succession process involves many steps to identify and transfer asset ownership, including to legally:

• Verify the heirs with supporting documentation,
• Draft and execute the probate petition,
• Translate the probate petition/s and supportive affidavits,
• Obtain death certificate(s),
• File the probate petition/s. The original will and or trust by law needs to be submitted,
• Submit interim requests to both the Israeli Inheritance Registrar and Family Court,
• Represent the heirs in Israeli Family Court—often, through multiple probate processes—in order to receive a decree/probate/inheritance court order/s,
• Register to process the names of the heirs on the Israeli title.

How Does the Israeli Probate Process Work?

After all of the heirs have been legally verified, we prepare the probate petition/s and serve the legal heirs. We also obtain the death certificate(s) with an Apostille for all deceased heirs. In addition, document translation is usually needed when heirs reside in other countries.

Ultimately, the probate process is submitted to the Israeli Inheritance Registrar and goes to the Family Court to get a decree or succession order. With this decree, also referred to as a probate order, an average of EACH probate can take between 4-6 months—and longer for multiple Israeli probates. Upon receiving the court order(s), the rightful heirs can submit a request to register the inheritance decree (court order) in their names with Israel’s Land Registry (the Tabu Land Registry).

As you can see, probate involves procedures in the Israeli Registrar, the Israeli Family Court, and, eventually, the Land Registry. Reclaiming abandoned property in Israel typically entails multiple probate processes, document translations, and skilled negotiations. It is very time-consuming and demands strategic planning, attention to many details, and a lot of due diligence.

Cases to reclaim abandoned property or assets in Israel can take, on average, 1-3 years and sometimes even more. You want a legal firm that keeps on top of every step and ensures the process runs as efficiently and fast as possible.

Read more about how the Israeli probate process works.

Once ownership is confirmed, a property sale must be transacted and finalized. By executing this final step for our clients and their families, we save the client the broker’s fees and ensure an efficient property sale so that each heir receives their portion according to the probate/s court order.

Getting the Right Attorney for Searching Assets in Israel

When working with us, our experienced, Israeli attorneys give you a complete and accurate picture of what to anticipate.

Our clients usually become aware of a possible unclaimed Israeli inheritance in one of two ways. They receive either:

1. A letter from the State of Israel Re: Rights to property in Israel in the name of X. File: GM/EG/G #, or,
2. A letter or a phone call from a land hunter who is not an Israeli attorney and is not allowed to practice law in Israel.

When contacted by the State of Israel, clients may think that the State can handle the process of transferring asset ownership to the heirs. The State is not allowed to do the legal work necessary to reclaim an Israeli inheritance. Their sole job by law is to inform the relatives and offspring of the dormant land or asset in Israel.

In the second scenario, land hunters in Israel and the U.S. make it a side job to seek out abandoned property in Israel. They function as a broker, which means they don’t have any fiduciary obligations to the heirs to accurately represent the property’s estimated value and discuss capital gain taxes or any other rights or liabilities. A lot of misinformation can result from their efforts. In some cases, families come to us after land hunters tried to get them to sign an illegal representation agreement that commits the families to 35-40% of the property while hiding the block and parcel of the land and other crucial facts about the land, as well as the fact they are not Israeli attorneys and are not allowed to practice law in the State of Israel. Sometimes, the land hunters bring the buyers and sell the land at a low price while the heirs are left in the dark.

Frequently, I get calls from heirs wondering if the letter or phone call they received is valid. We first do the homework to determine if there is a legitimate and viable claim. Early during the initial meetings, I reviewed factors surrounding the abandoned Israeli property and can advise whether to pursue the case.

It can be stressful when relying on a non-professional who only discloses some facts to discover after much effort that the case/s has reached a dead end.

Working directly with a diligent Israeli attorney specializing in this niche area is crucial for many reasons. The search for the land and probate/s process to reclaim abandoned real estate in Israel requires a pro attorney with a proven track record in these cases. In contrast, working with a land hunter who acts as a middleman increases family costs and damages. Our attorneys are bound to work for you and will handle your case privately and confidentially. Sometimes, cases involve multiple heirs with different objectives. These cases are best handled by an expert attorney who approaches the case with sensitivity and diplomacy and operates confidentially and diligently in your best interest.

Locating Dormant Bank Accounts in an Israeli Bank or Unclaimed Israeli Assets and Shares

Although we have focused on locating dormant, unclaimed Israeli estate, real estate, property, and land thus far, many other types of abandoned and dormant assets in Israel can be classified as “unclaimed assets.” Examples include bank accounts, shares, pension funds, provident funds, education funds, life insurance policies, executive insurance policies, dormant bank accounts, various savings plans, dividends, and stocks, to name a few. Financial institutions, insurance companies, pension funds, hospitals, clinics, corporations, government agencies, and Israeli government corporations can manage these funds.

Locating Israeli Banks and Institutions

Given the complicated bureaucracy of Israeli institutions, the research, due diligence, and the Israeli probate/s process can only be handled by a competent, persistent Israeli attorney with experience and tenacity in locating ownership of abandoned property and assets in Israel. This attorney must also be highly skilled in cases seeking the release of Israeli dormant assets and property to manage the lengthy process efficiently and transfer the title to the rightful heirs. Our law firm has resolved many cases of this kind, and we are well-situated to help you with all the right tools to locate the dormant property or asset in Israel and do the legal transfer of Israeli assets.

Contact Aharoni Law Firm for A Free Consultation

We specialize in reclaiming abandoned or dormant property and financial assets in Israel and know precisely what to do and how to do it. Working with us is very cost-efficient and time-efficient for our clients. With offices in Israel and the US, we stay on top of the process at all times and time zones. Please view our many reviews. We are happy to give you a complimentary consultation to get you started immediately and accomplish the mission.

The Aharoni Law Firm represents international clients from the United States, Canada, the UK, Europe, and Israel. Please contact us from the US or Canada at 888-923-0022 or Israel at 972-3-9055478 to schedule a complimentary consultation.