Options to Secure Missing Estate Documents from Uncooperative Institutions in North Carolina Detailed Answer North Carolina personal representatives—called executors (when there is a will) or administrators (when there is no will)—have broad statutory power to collect the decedent’s records. Yet banks, brokerages, mortgage servicers, and insurers sometimes ignore or delay requests. Below is a step-by-step…
Struggling to Agree on Selling a Shared Property? North Carolina Partition Options Explained Detailed Answer When North Carolina co-owners (also called tenants in common or joint tenants) reach an impasse over how to sell, manage, or split expenses on real estate, state law offers several paths to break the deadlock: Voluntary Agreement or Buyout •…
What Type of Deed Should Heirs Sign to Convey Their Interests in Property Located in Another State, and How Is It Recorded? Detailed Answer When North Carolina heirs inherit real estate that sits in a different state, the property cannot be transferred with a North Carolina probate order alone. Real estate is always governed by…
Detailed Answer: How to Confirm Creditor Notice Was Properly Given North Carolina probate law gives personal representatives two ways to cut off creditor claims: Publish and mail the statutory Notice to Creditors and bar late claims in about 4–6 months, or Do nothing and let the two-year rule in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 28A-19-3 bar…
Should a Personal Representative Open an Estate Account in North Carolina? Detailed Answer Yes—opening a dedicated estate bank account is not just a good idea; it is the safest way to comply with North Carolina probate law and protect yourself from personal liability. Once the clerk of superior court issues Letters Testamentary (for an executor)…
How to Determine If Other Creditors or Lienholders Could Have Claims to Surplus Funds in North Carolina Detailed Answer When real property is sold at a foreclosure or tax sale for more than the total debt, costs, and fees owed to the foreclosing creditor, the extra money is called surplus funds. North Carolina law gives…
Detailed Answer: How to Bring Real Property Into a North Carolina Estate to Pay Claims In North Carolina, real estate does not automatically become an estate asset. Title passes to heirs or devisees at death, subject to the estate’s creditors. If the personal representative (PR) discovers that personal property and other liquid funds will not…
How an Estate Administrator Confirms a Vehicle Loan Is Paid in Full under North Carolina Law Quick Answer: In North Carolina, an estate administrator verifies a paid-off vehicle loan by collecting a written payoff confirmation from the lender, securing an official lien release, and obtaining a clean North Carolina title that shows no lienholder. Administrators…
Can I Seek Reimbursement from the Estate for Paying the Funeral Bill in North Carolina? Detailed Answer Yes. North Carolina probate law allows a person who advanced money for a decedent’s funeral to be reimbursed from estate funds, provided the claim is submitted correctly and on time. 1. Funeral expenses receive high priority Under N.C.…
How an Incomplete or Missing Marriage Certificate Impacts a Surviving Spouse’s Year’s Allowance in North Carolina Detailed Answer North Carolina law grants a surviving spouse an automatic right to a Year’s Allowance of up to $60,000 from the personal property of the deceased (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 30-15). To receive that allowance the spouse files a…
