Estate Of Stern v. Ster

311 S.E.2d 999 (N.C. App. 1984)

Facts

Stern died intestate, survived by his maternal and paternal aunts and uncles. Stern's parents lived together in Canada but were never married. Stern was raised by both parents until his mother died when he was six. From the age of six, Stern was raised by his father who died in 1979. Stern got an estate worth $500,000. Stern then died intestate the next year. The trial court ruled that Stern's maternal heirs were entitled to inherit to the exclusion of his paternal heirs. The paternal heirs appealed.