Yes, in certain circumstances. However, during the settlement of the estate, the debts of the deceased must generally be claimed and paid as part of the estate rather than directly from the personal assets of the heirs.
During the liquidation process, the estate's assets and those of the heirs are kept separate. The estate's assets are used, in particular, to pay creditors, in accordance with the rules applicable to liquidation.
Simply accepting an inheritance does not mean that an heir becomes personally responsible for all the debts of the deceased.
After liquidation, if a debt remains unpaid, a creditor may still take legal action against the heirs, according to the conditions provided for by the Civil Code of Quebec .
If there is only one heir, he is generally liable for outstanding debts up to the value of the assets he has inherited, subject to the exceptions provided by law.
When there are several heirs, each is generally liable for the outstanding debts in proportion to the share he receives in the estate, subject in particular to the specific rules applicable to indivisible debts and the nature of each heir's inheritance rights.
This limitation of liability presupposes, in particular, compliance with the rules of the Civil Code of Québec relating to the inventory of the estate and the liquidation of the estate. In certain circumstances, heirs may be liable for debts exceeding the value of the inherited assets, particularly when they have consented to a waiver of inventory or when certain legal obligations have not been met.
Special rules may also apply when a will provides for a bequest of universal usufruct, particularly with regard to the legatee's liability to creditors and the distribution of debts between the usufructuary and the bare owner.
Therefore, the fact that a creditor directly demands payment of a debt from an heir does not automatically mean that the heir must pay it from their personal assets. It is essential to verify the validity of the claim, the status of the estate settlement, compliance with inventory rules, and the extent of the heir's liability.