If my spouse and I cover the past‑due amount and future payments, how do we ensure the title is legally transferred to us? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, paying the mortgage (even catching it up and resuming monthly payments) does not transfer legal title. Title usually passes under the will (if there…
How can I get a bank to release a pay-on-death account with a death certificate when they keep asking for letters testamentary? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a properly created pay-on-death (POD) account generally becomes the beneficiary’s property at the owner’s death, and the bank can pay the beneficiary after receiving proof…
How is a personal representative commission approved, and what records should I provide? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a personal representative’s commission is approved by the Clerk of Superior Court (the probate court) based on what the estate actually received and what the personal representative actually paid out during administration. In many…
What documents let me tow or scrap titled vehicles on the property? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the documents needed depend on why the vehicle is being removed. If the vehicle is part of an estate, the cleanest paperwork usually starts with court-issued Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration showing who has…
How do I get a certified death certificate and how many copies should I order for handling the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, certified death certificates are usually obtained through the county Register of Deeds (in the county where the death occurred) or through the North Carolina Office of Vital Records.…
How can I pay the remaining bills myself so I don’t have to sell the house during probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, an executor can choose to pay certain estate bills with personal funds to avoid forcing a sale of the house, but the payments should be documented and handled…
What happens to a deceased child’s share of inherited property if that child died after the parent and left minor children? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina intestate estates, a child’s inheritance is determined at the parent’s death. If a child survived the parent (even briefly) and then died, that child’s share generally…
Do I need to notify heirs or creditors when applying for letters of administration related to a wrongful death case? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an application for letters of administration is typically filed with the Clerk of Superior Court, and the court process does not usually require the applicant to send…
How is the house split when one child died earlier leaving children and the other died without a will? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the house is not “split” based on who was alive in the first family generation. It is distributed based on who owned it at death and whether that…
Does a letter blaming the spouse for the death matter under slayer law and could it stop them from inheriting? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a letter that blames a spouse for the death can matter as evidence, but it does not automatically stop inheritance by itself. To block inheritance under North…
