Can I handle estate funds by opening an estate bank account once I have letters of appointment? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, once the Clerk of Superior Court issues Letters of Appointment (Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration), the personal representative can open an estate bank account and should use it…
What are the steps to designate and register a personal representative and file letters of administration? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a personal representative is appointed by the Clerk of Superior Court in the county with probate jurisdiction, and the clerk issues “letters of administration” (for an intestate estate) after the applicant…
What information is required to claim title to inherited property once found? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, claiming title to inherited real estate usually requires enough information to identify the owner and the land (name, date of death, and the county and legal description or parcel ID), plus the probate paperwork (a…
Is my sibling breaking the law by driving an uninsured vehicle that still belongs to the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer Possibly, but the bigger legal risk is often on the estate and the executor. In North Carolina, a vehicle titled in the decedent’s name is still treated as owned by the decedent’s estate…
What steps are required to close a long-pending intestate estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a long-pending intestate estate usually closes when the administrator brings the file current (inventory, required accountings, and proof of proper handling of assets), resolves who is legally entitled to inherit, pays valid expenses and claims, and then…
What proof of title does an executor need to complete a final accounting? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a final accounting must show that every estate asset listed on the inventory or prior account has been properly handled and is no longer held by the estate. For a titled asset like a…
How do I verify who is officially appointed as executor and challenge a relative who is acting like the executor without authority? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the only person who can act as the executor (or administrator) is the person the Clerk of Superior Court has officially appointed and issued “letters”…
What should an administration agreement include when two people are appointed? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, when two people are appointed to serve together as personal representatives (often called co-administrators), the written administration agreement should clearly allocate which co-administrator will handle certain listed day-to-day powers (like opening the estate bank account, keeping…
How can I confirm whether an investment account at [BROKER] is subject to probate or transfers directly to the trust created by the will? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an investment account is a probate asset only if it is titled in the decedent’s name alone (or otherwise payable to the estate)…
What steps do I need to inventory and appraise multiple properties and personal assets in probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, the personal representative (executor or administrator) must identify estate assets, determine which assets belong on the probate inventory, and report values as of the date of death. Real estate and…
