If we mail a check for an estate settlement, what details should we include and how do we get written confirmation that the account is resolved? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, a settlement check should clearly identify the estate, the file number (if available), what the payment covers, and any conditions…
Can escrowed real-estate sale proceeds be distributed before probate is finished, and if so, under what conditions? – North Carolina Short Answer Sometimes. In North Carolina, escrowed sale proceeds tied to a decedent’s ownership interest are usually treated as estate funds that should be paid to the estate’s personal representative (executor/administrator) and held until the…
Do jointly titled vehicles pass to me automatically, and what paperwork does the DMV usually require to reflect that? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a jointly titled vehicle only “passes automatically” to the surviving co-owner if it was titled as a joint tenancy with right of survivorship. Even then, the survivor usually…
What happens to my probate timeline if the death certificate request is rejected and I have to resubmit? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a rejected death certificate request usually delays the practical steps of probate (like dealing with banks, insurers, and real estate), but it does not automatically stop an estate from…
How do I start a small‑estate probate when the home passed to me through a life estate and only a small bank account remains? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, when the only probate asset is a small bank account and the home already passed outside probate through a life estate deed, the…
How do we reopen a closed estate and appoint a new executor to handle property discovered years later in another country? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a closed estate can usually be reopened when after-discovered property turns up, when a necessary act was not completed, or for other proper cause. The request…
How do I open probate for a long-deceased relative so the home can pass to the heirs and clear title for a sale? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, probate (or an estate administration file) is opened through the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the decedent lived at death (or…
How do I obtain the will and probate filings and pause estate distributions while I investigate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, once a will is offered for probate, the will and the estate file are generally kept with the Clerk of Superior Court and can usually be reviewed and copied from the…
How do I track the case status and get proof that the documents were received and filed? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, the official “case status” lives with the Clerk of Superior Court (Estates). The most reliable proof that documents were received and filed is a file-stamped copy from the clerk…
Who is responsible for a deceased person’s credit card debt, and can collectors pursue family members if the estate can’t pay? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a deceased person’s credit card debt is generally paid (if at all) from the person’s estate—not from family members’ personal money. Collectors usually must pursue the…
