What legal protections exist for co-executors if some fail to provide estate statements?: North Carolina probate guidance

What legal protections exist for co-executors if some fail to provide estate statements? – North Carolina Short Answer North Carolina law requires personal representatives to file an inventory within three months of qualifying and to file annual or final accounts. If co-executors withhold statements or refuse to account, the Clerk of Superior Court can order…

How can I ensure my rights as a co-executor when others exclude me from estate communications?: North Carolina guidance

How can I ensure my rights as a co-executor when others exclude me from estate communications? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, co-executors generally must act together or as the will and statutes allow; no one co-executor may unilaterally control the estate. If you’re being excluded, you can petition the Clerk of Superior…

What steps do I take to review and finalize a real estate sales contract in probate?: North Carolina probate real estate closing steps

What steps do I take to review and finalize a real estate sales contract in probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an executor must confirm legal authority to sell the property (by will or court order), ensure all required signatures from co-executors, and follow any court-approved sale rules before closing. If a…

How do I authorize the estate to pay utilities, taxes, and deed fees for properties I co-own with my brother?

How do I authorize the estate to pay utilities, taxes, and deed fees for properties I co-own with my brother? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the personal representative may use estate funds to pay real-property expenses only if the representative has legal authority over that property. Because title to real estate vests…

What can I do to confirm the beneficiaries and distribution of my father’s life insurance and retirement accounts?: A North Carolina guide

What can I do to confirm the beneficiaries and distribution of my father’s life insurance and retirement accounts? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, life insurance and most retirement accounts pass by beneficiary designation, not through probate. To confirm who inherits and how the money will be paid, request written confirmation from each…

Can the sale of estate property move forward if ancillary probate isn’t finished yet?: North Carolina Probate

Can the sale of estate property move forward if ancillary probate isn’t finished yet? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a sale can move forward before ancillary probate is “finished,” but only if the seller has the right North Carolina authority in place. Within two years of death, heirs alone cannot pass marketable…