My aunt passed away a few months ago, and it turns out she had an outstanding mortgage. The lawyers tell me that as an heir I have to take it on, but honestly I don't have the money to pay that. Am I really forced to accept the entire inheritance or is there a way to reject it?
I've seen people in this situation and yeah, you can refuse the inheritance without any problem, you're not obliged to accept it. What you need to do is file a formal renunciation with a court or notary (depends on where you live) within the timeframe set by law, usually quite a while after the person dies. If you refuse, you don't inherit anything but you're also not liable for the debts, so those lawyers aren't giving you good advice if they're telling you it's mandatory.
Lawyers aren't telling you that you're obligated to accept the entire inheritance - what happens is that a lot of people don't know they have the right to reject it 😅 In most Latin American countries you can make a formal renunciation before a notary or court without much hassle, and then you simply don't inherit anything, neither assets nor debts. The important thing is to act fairly quickly because the deadlines to renounce are usually limited (generally a few months from the death), so it's a good idea to consult with a lawyer or notary in your specific jurisdiction to find out exactly how to file that renunciation.
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