A HUNGARIAN CHANCERY SUIT.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 452, 8 March 1890, Page 6

A HUNGARIAN CHANCERY SUIT.

An extraordinary lawsuit, which commenced on the I.sth of September, 1768, has (says the 4 Standard’s ’ Pesth corresi ondenb) just been concluded, after lasting 121 years. In the year 1419, Bishop Demendy, of Neutra, in Northern Hungary,died,leaving his immense estates to his family. Owing, however, to the Turkish invasion of Hungary at that time, the Bishop’s relatives were unable to bake possession of the property. After the invasion, it was found that the number of persons who had a right to share in the property was upwards of a thousand. As they were unable to agree among themselves as to the division of the estates, an appeal was made to the law. The Courts of Justice were so afraid of doing injustice by precipitate action that alt the original heirs, and even the next two generations, had passed away before a decision was arrived at. Meantime, the expenses of the law and administration had to be paid, and while these have well-nigh swallowed up the once vast fortune, the heirs have increased in number to more than 2,000. Now that the judgment of the Court has been delivered, the Bishop’s descendants find that property that should have been worth probably a quarter of a million had melted down to something over three thousand pounds, out of which they have still to pay a lawyer’s bill of one thousand pounds. This will leave the fortunate heirs at least a sovereign apiece.