Kolovrat v. Oregon

Joe Stoich and Muharem Zekieh died in Oregon in December 1953 without having made wills to dispose of personal property they owned in that State. Their only heirs and next of kin, who but for being aliens could have inherited this Oregon property under Oregon law, were brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews who were all residents and nationals of Yugoslavia. But § 111.070 of the Oregon Revised Statutes rather severely limits the rights of aliens not living in the United States to “take” either real or personal property or its proceeds in Oregon “by succession or testamentary disposition.” And…