<P> The law on intestacy in Scotland broadly follows that of England and Wales with some variations . A notable difference is that all possible (blood) relatives can qualify for benefit (i.e. they are not limited to grandparents or their descendants). Once a class is' exhausted', succession continues to the next line of ascendants, followed by siblings, and so on . In a complete absence of relatives of the whole or half - blood, the estate passes to the Crown (as ultimus haeres). The Crown has a discretion to benefit people unrelated to the intestate, e.g. those with moral claims on the estate . </P> <P> In Canada the laws vary from province to province . As in England, most jurisdictions apply rules of intestate succession to determine next of kin who become legal heirs to the estate . Also, as in England, if no identifiable heirs are discovered, the property may escheat to the government . </P> <P> In the United States intestacy laws vary from state to state . Each of the separate states uses its own intestacy laws to determine the ownership of residents' intestate property . Attempts in the United States to make probate and intestate succession uniform from state to state, through efforts such as the Uniform Probate Code, have been met with limited success . </P> <P> The distribution of the property of an intestate decedent is the responsibility of the administrator (or personal representative) of the estate: typically the administrator is chosen by the court having jurisdiction over the decedent's property, and is frequently (but not always) a person nominated by a majority of the decedent's heirs . </P>

Who decides the distribution of assets in the event of intestacy
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