Can I be reimbursed from the sale proceeds for property expenses I paid after the death, like utilities, maintenance, and repairs? nc

Probate Q&A Series

Can I be reimbursed from the sale proceeds for property expenses I paid after the death, like utilities, maintenance, and repairs? – North Carolina Short Answer Often, yes—under North Carolina probate practice, a personal representative can usually be repaid for reasonable, necessary out-of-pocket expenses that were properly incurred to preserve and sell estate property, but…

Do I have to be a full‑time resident of the state to be appointed, and how do I handle residency verification if I’m between addresses? nc

Probate Q&A Series

Do I have to be a full‑time resident of the state to be appointed, and how do I handle residency verification if I’m between addresses? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a person does not necessarily have to be a full-time North Carolina resident to be appointed as executor (personal representative). However, when…

What steps are involved in probating a parent’s estate that includes a house, bank accounts, and life insurance? nc

Probate Q&A Series

What steps are involved in probating a parent’s estate that includes a house, bank accounts, and life insurance? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, probating a parent’s estate usually means opening an estate with the Clerk of Superior Court, getting someone officially appointed (executor or administrator), gathering and valuing probate assets, paying valid…

How do I claim a state employee life insurance or retirement death benefit that only releases to an estate administrator, and who receives it? nc

Probate Q&A Series

How do I claim a state employee life insurance or retirement death benefit that only releases to an estate administrator, and who receives it? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, if a state-employee life insurance or retirement-related death benefit is payable only to the decedent’s “legal representative,” the benefit generally cannot be released…

If stocks are sold from an account opened in my name while I’m serving as personal representative, am I personally responsible for the taxes? nc

Probate Q&A Series

If stocks are sold from an account opened in my name while I’m serving as personal representative, am I personally responsible for the taxes? – North Carolina Short Answer Usually, no. In North Carolina, taxes triggered by selling estate-owned stocks are generally estate taxes (reported under the estate’s tax ID and paid from estate funds),…

If some beneficiaries don’t want their share, how can they refuse it and where does that share go instead? nc

Probate Q&A Series

If some beneficiaries don’t want their share, how can they refuse it and where does that share go instead? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a beneficiary generally refuses an inheritance by signing a written renunciation (disclaimer) and filing it with the Clerk of Superior Court as an estate matter. When done correctly,…