What happens if I can’t find the title or registration paperwork for property the estate might claim? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, missing title or registration paperwork does not automatically decide whether property belongs to an estate. The personal representative still must make a reasonable effort to identify, gather, and inventory estate…
How do I find out whether there are any other creditors who might file claims against the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the main way to flush out unknown creditors is to publish a formal Notice to Creditors for the estate and to mail that notice to any creditors who are…
What is the estate worth and how do you calculate what I will receive from the remaining proceeds? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, the “estate value” and the amount a beneficiary receives are calculated from a court-filed inventory and accounting, not just from the house sale price. The distributable amount generally…
Can getting an inheritance affect my public benefits, and what should I do before accepting anything? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, an inheritance can count as income or a resource for needs-based programs like Medicaid and SSI, which can reduce or stop benefits if it pushes the recipient over program limits.…
What are my responsibilities as executor during the early steps of settling an estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an executor (also called a “personal representative”) must quickly secure and identify estate assets, set up an estate recordkeeping system (often including an estate bank account), and start the court-required reporting process with…
What should I do if estate-related mail is not being forwarded and I’m worried about missing time-sensitive notices? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the safest approach is to stop relying on mail forwarding and instead (1) update the estate’s mailing address everywhere it matters and (2) set up a backup way to…
How do I stop a financed vehicle from being repossessed after the owner dies if the payments fell behind? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a car loan does not go away when the owner dies, and the lender can usually repossess the vehicle if the loan is in default. The fastest way…
How can I get a deceased person’s health marketplace tax forms when I can’t access their online account? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the cleanest way to obtain a deceased person’s Health Insurance Marketplace tax forms when the online account cannot be accessed is to have the estate’s court-appointed personal representative request…
How do I become the administrator of a parent’s estate if there was no will? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, becoming the administrator of a parent’s estate (when there is no will) usually means applying to the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the parent lived and asking for “Letters…
When do we need to amend a deceased person’s final income tax return if income after the date of death was reported under the wrong taxpayer? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a decedent’s final individual income tax return should generally include only income received (or treated as received) through the date of…
