What records can I request to show when and how a decedent’s name was removed from an account? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the most useful records to request are the account’s ownership documents (signature card/deposit agreement), any change-of-ownership or “remove joint tenant” paperwork, and the institution’s internal account history showing the…
Can an estate representative demand statements for a joint account after it is changed into the surviving account holder’s name? – North Carolina Short Answer Sometimes, but not always. In North Carolina, a joint account with right of survivorship generally becomes the surviving account holder’s property at death, so the financial institution may treat later…
What happens if I make a mistake or leave something out of the estate inventory or final accounting? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, an honest mistake or an omitted item on an estate inventory or final accounting usually gets fixed by filing a corrected or supplemental filing with the Clerk of…
What documents do I need to prove I’m authorized to receive court-held funds on behalf of an estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the person who can usually receive court-held funds for a decedent’s estate is the court-appointed personal representative (executor or administrator). The most common proof is a certified copy of…
How do I find out what assets my child had, like bank accounts, a car, or other property, and how those get transferred? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the cleanest way to identify and collect an adult child’s assets is usually to have a personal representative (executor/administrator) appointed by the Clerk of…
How do I start probate and enforce the will if the surviving spouse is occupying the property? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, probate usually starts by taking the original will and a death certificate to the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the decedent lived, and having a personal representative…
Do we need written payoff instructions or confirmation from the inheritance-advance company before mailing an overnight check? – North Carolina Short Answer North Carolina law does not require a special “payoff letter” from an inheritance-advance company before an estate mails a check. But as a practical matter, written payoff instructions (or written confirmation of the…
What happens if the funeral bill is not fully paid when the estate is being handled? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an unpaid funeral bill is a claim against the estate, and the personal representative generally pays it from estate funds before most other debts. If the estate does not have enough…
How can I verify whether a property is owned individually or jointly before the estate is settled? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the most reliable way to verify whether a deceased parent owned real property individually or jointly is to review the most recent recorded deed (and related recorded documents) in the…
If I pay the full amount, who receives the rebate back—the individual client or the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina probate, an “early pay rebate” tied to a probate-advance payoff is usually treated as part of the estate’s money flow, not the personal representative’s personal money. In most situations, the rebate…
