Trying Dutchman wants share of inheritence

An adopted Dutchman who flew to Austria to track down his real parents has launched a multi-million pound inheritance claim after discovering his real father was an Austrian property magnate.

Ronald Nyman, 42, had been born illegitimately in 1970 in Feldkirch, Austria, and was handed over to a local monastery and then given up for adoption. He ended up living in Holland.

In 2008 after his adoptive father died he decided to try and track down his real parents – and discovered by looking at monastery records that the wealthy millionaire from Dornbirn in Austria was his real father.

But the man’s real children – a son and daughter – who had already inherited his millions were not pleased with the suggestion that they had a sibling. Under Austrian law all children of a deceased person get a share of the money.

The man took the pair to court which ordered a DNA test be carried out comparing the man’s DNA with his suspected relatives, but the two refused and the matter has now ended up at the Austrian High Court for a fin al decision expected tomorrow.

Ekkehard Bechtold, a lawyer for the man’s legitimate children, has asked the court to throw it out, saying: “This case should not be allowed, otherwise anybody can simply turn up and claim to be related to demand a share.”

But if the court disagrees and orders the DNA test and it proves positive – the man would have to be awarded a third share of his dead father’s property.