Explore our informative articles, insights, and updates focused on North Carolina Estate Administration, Estate Planning, Partition Actions, and Surplus Fund cases. Our goal is to make these complex topics accessible, offering you guidance and understanding at each step of the legal process. Whether you’re looking to navigate probate administration, protect your assets through careful planning, understand partition actions, or resolve issues with surplus funds, our articles are designed to empower you with practical advice, legal insights, and actionable steps. Stay informed and feel confident as you make decisions about your estate and legal matters.
How do I calculate a fair buyout offer when I don’t know the mortgage balance or current equity? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina partition cases, a fair buyout is your co-owner’s percentage of the home’s verified net equity: fair market value minus liens/payoffs and typical sale costs, then adjusted for agreed credits…
How can I compel the other co-owner to provide mortgage payoff and equity statements for mediation? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina partition cases, you do not have to rely on voluntary sharing at mediation. Use formal discovery (requests for documents/interrogatories) and, if needed, a subpoena to the lender to obtain current payoff…
Can I still complete the purchase of a probate property if the original bidder dies before closing? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes—under North Carolina law, a judicial sale is not final until it is confirmed by the Clerk of Superior Court. If the high bidder dies before closing, that bidder’s personal representative can usually…
How can I enforce my father’s successful bid on our family home after he died? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, a high bid at a court-ordered estate sale becomes enforceable only after the upset-bid period closes and the Clerk confirms the sale. If the high bidder dies before closing, the personal representative…
How do I challenge a commissioner who delayed or combined estate property sales? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you challenge a commissioner’s sale decisions by filing a motion or objection with the Clerk of Superior Court in the estate or special proceeding that authorized the sales. You can ask the clerk to…
What options do I have to keep living in the house after the administrator of the estate asks for the keys? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, heirs own a decedent’s real estate at death, so the administrator cannot take possession just by asking for the keys. The administrator must either have immediate…
What documents are needed to recover excess proceeds after a tax sale? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you recover surplus (excess) tax sale proceeds by filing a motion or petition in the tax foreclosure case asking the court to disburse the funds. You must prove your right to the money with documents…
Can multiple heirs file separate claims for the same surplus funds? – North Carolina Short Answer Yes. In North Carolina, more than one person can file a claim to the same surplus funds from a property sale, but the Clerk of Superior Court (or the foreclosure trustee) will resolve all competing claims in a single…
How do I prove eligibility to receive surplus proceeds in a closure file? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you prove eligibility to surplus proceeds from a foreclosure by filing a motion or petition in the foreclosure file with the Clerk of Superior Court, showing who you are, why you have priority, and…
Do proceeds need to flow through the estate bank account or can I have checks cut directly to the trust and beneficiaries? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, money from probate assets typically should be deposited into the estate’s fiduciary bank account and disbursed from that account after paying valid claims and expenses.…
How do I obtain and file satisfactions of claim from creditors to finalize the estate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the executor gathers and reviews creditor claims after publishing and mailing the required notice, pays valid claims in the statutory order, and obtains written proof each claim is satisfied (paid-in-full letter, zero-balance…
How can I sell a jointly owned property as executor to pay estate debts and close probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an executor can sell real estate to pay valid estate debts if the will gives sale authority or by getting an order from the Clerk of Superior Court in a…
Can I direct sale proceeds to creditors myself and keep them out of the estate account? – North Carolina Short Answer Usually, no. In North Carolina, an executor should deposit estate receipts into a dedicated estate bank account, then pay allowed claims in the statutory order after the creditor period. Limited exceptions apply: closing attorneys…
What happens if my spouse accuses me of adultery during divorce proceedings? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an accusation of adultery (called illicit sexual behavior) can directly affect alimony. If a dependent spouse committed it before separation, alimony is generally barred; if the supporting spouse committed it, alimony is generally required. The…
How should I prepare for a mediation session involving abandonment allegations? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, prepare by organizing facts that address what “abandonment” means—ending cohabitation willfully, without the other spouse’s consent, without justification, and with no intent to return. Also assess any adultery issues because “illicit sexual behavior” can affect alimony.…
What evidence do I need to show I left the marital home for just cause? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, you show “just cause” to leave by proving your spouse’s conduct made continued cohabitation unsafe or intolerable (for example, violence, threats, severe harassment, or serious infidelity-related misconduct) and that you left because…
Do adult heirs have to comply with executor requests for personal data without a court order? – North Carolina Short Answer Generally, no. In North Carolina, an adult heir does not have to give an executor passwords or other personal data just because the executor asks. If the heir holds estate property or records, the…
How can I challenge an executor’s request to access a deceased relative’s digital accounts? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an executor cannot force you or another heir to hand over passwords. Access to a decedent’s digital accounts must follow state law, usually through requests to the account custodian under the Revised Uniform…
How does mediation work for resolving disputes in estate administration? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, the Clerk of Superior Court can order or the parties can agree to mediation to resolve estate disputes, including elective share issues. A certified mediator helps the parties negotiate in a confidential setting, and any deal must…
What is an elective share claim and how do I defend against it in probate? – North Carolina Short Answer In North Carolina, an elective share is a surviving spouse’s right to claim a minimum percentage of the decedent’s Total Net Assets, regardless of what the will says. The spouse must file a petition with…