Sometimes smaller estates can be probated through a Small Estate Affidavit. In order to do so, it must meet certain requirements, as discussed below.
- There must be no Will. If the person that died left a Will, then this is not the right procedure to use.
- The estate must be less than $75,000 in value (not including the value of the homestead or other exempt property.) So if the value of the estate is more than $75,000, excluding the homestead and other exempt property, then this is not the right procedure to use. (It used to be $50,000, but has increased to $75,000.)
- The only real property that can be transferred is the Homestead property. If there are any non-homestead properties, like other homes, lots, time shares, or royalty interests, then this is not the right procedure to use. [* As of September 1, 2015, the only real property that can be transferred under a Small Estate Affidavit is Homestead that would be passing to a surviving spouse and minor children. If there is other real property involved, an Affidavit of Heirship may also need to be filed separately.]
- It requires that 30 days have passed since the date of death, and no petition for the estate has been filed or granted.
- There must be a solvent estate, meaning that the assets of the estate must be greater than the amount of debt owed. Exempt property may not be included in determining if the estate is solvent.
A Small Estate Affidavit requires two (2) disinterested witnesses to file a sworn affidavit affirming Heirship. Since there is no Will involved, the heirs-at-law will take their intestate share, just like with a Determination of Heirship.
The Affidavit must list all assets and liabilities, distributees under the laws of intestacy, and their relationship to the deceased.
The court does not have to grant the Small Estate Affidavit, even if all of the requirements are met. It is within the discretion of the Judge to sign the Order on the Small Estate Affidavit or not.
If the Judge signs the Order on the Small Estate Affidavit, it should be filed in the real property records where the homestead property is located in order to transfer the homestead property to the proper heirs. There is no deed prepared to transfer the real property. The Small Estate Affidavit states whom the heirs are, the percentage that they take under the laws of decent and distribution, and that is the information used to show the transfer of interest to those heirs.
A certified copy of the Small Estate Affidavit and Order can be ordered and used to have access to bank accounts or transfer vehicles and other property to the heirs-at-law.
If it is appropriate and all the requirements are met, a Small Estate Affidavit can be a more affordable way to handle the probate of someone’s small estate.
If your father passed in 2012 without a Will and no one filed any action in probate by now, your only options are to either file an Affidavit of Heirship in the real property records, or file a Determination of Heirship with the court, but it is too late to ask for any kind of administration. The end result is that the heirs will be determined, which from your message sounds like the property would be owned equally by the 4 of you kids. It didn’t matter if you were caring for him, or if some kids have an interest or some don’t. If each have an equal undivided interest, you can either buy each other out so that one person owns it all, or the two that want to keep it own it all, or you can all agree to sell it. If you can’t get to that point, then someone can file suit to partition the property and force the sale. The end result is that the property will be sold, but after paying legal fees, everyone will get less. I would suggest that you try to work it out somehow. See what they would be willing to sell it for, and then see if you can somehow buy them out. If you can’t afford to do that, then perhaps you can’t afford to keep the place, even though it has sentimental value to you. It is really rough when things like that tear a family apart.
You could see if the bank would accept the Will probated as a Muniment of Title to release the funds to the sole beneficiary under the Will. That would avoid the administration.
Also, a Small Estate Affidavit should only be filed when there is no Will. However, in some counties, I have seen where the Judge will accept the filing with a copy of a Will attached in similar circumstances where it is a small estate, and the distribution is the same as it would be with the Will. Personally, I don’t see how the Judge can legally get over the “No Will” requirement, but I have seen it happen. So, you could also check with the courts in your jurisdiction. However, I personally would feel more comfortable admitting the Will to probate as Muniment of Title if the bank would accept the Muniment Order. I would probably have your attorney reach out to the bank officers before hand, and maybe add some specific language in the Muniment Order for the turnover of the funds in that particular bank just to give them some comfort.
(The only issue with a Muniment of Title and Banks is that most Banks are based out of places like New York. Texas is the only state that has a Muniment of Title, so they just don’t understand them or know what to do with them. It can take a while to educate the Banks, and sometimes it is impossible to do so.)
Hello,
My dad passed away 4 years ago without a will leaving my surviving mom the homestead property. She passed away June of 2017 without a will also. My question is can I fill out a small estate affidavit to have the deed transferred over to myself, my brother and sister? Do I need a lawyer to create this document if we can use it?
We live in Texas
Thanks
Billy Tipton
Your mother’s estate might be about to use the Small Estate Affidavit to transfer your father’s interest in the homestead to her, so that 100% will be in your mother’s estate (and a Small Estate Affidavit can be filed even if it is more that 4 years from the date of death). That is because your mother had a homestead right in the property when your father died. However, you children do not have a homestead right in the property. That is why a Small Estate Affidavit will not work to transfer the interest from your mother’s estate to you children. (By the way, when there is a Small Estate Affidavit, that is what is filed in the real property records, and there never is a Deed prepared and recorded; it acts like the deed to show the transfer of interest.)
You will still need to do two probates; your father’s estate, and then your mother’s estate. Assuming that it otherwise qualified, you can probably handle your father’s probate with a Small Estate Affidavit and Order. However, that will not work for your mother’s estate. Depending upon what assets and liabilities that there may have been in her estate, you will either need to do a Determination of Heirship, with or without an Administration (which you will need an attorney for), or if there were no debts owed by the estate, you might be able to file an Affidavit of Heirship, which you will likely need to hire an attorney to assist you with drafting, and should talk with the attorney about the benefits and drawbacks of using an Affidavit of Heirship. Sometimes make it hard to sell the property since there has been no court involvement determining who the heirs are, so title companies may not want to issue a title policy if you try to sell it unless the Affidavit of Heirship has been on file with the clerk’s office for 5 years.
I am filing a sm estate affidavit for bank account and maybe an income tax for 2017. What if a family member wont participate and sign the affidavit? Can I go forward with claim.
My son passed away in March. He did not have a Will. He has a 6 year old daughter. Since she is a minor can we file a Small Estate Affidavit? My son had no property and his vehicle was repossessed. The only assets he has is his bank account. He did not list a beneficiary on his bank account. I am trying to make sure his daughter gets his assets but don’t want to spend more money Probating the will if there is a less expensive way.
No. If your family will not cooperate ans sign a Small Estate Affidavit and they are heirs, then you may not proceed that way. It requires the cooperation of all the heirs of the estate. That also is not likely to work for your, as a check issued to the estate of the deceased will need to be deposited into an estate account. That cannot be done with a Small Estate Affidavit. To open an estate account, the bank will require Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration to get an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS to open up the estate account. You do not get any Letters with a Small Estate Affidavit.
If the estate otherwise qualifies, then you probably can use a Small Estate Affidavit if she still has her mother, which is her natural guardian. At least in most larger counties, they will allow the other parent, who is the natural guardian of the child, to sign the Small Estate Affidavit on behalf of the child. Since the child is a minor, the payment would need to be issued in trust for the minor child, so that should be made clear in the Order as well. The bank may also like some special language included as well. This is one time when you may want to use an attorney to prepare the Small Estate Affidavit if they will allow it in your particular county.
My mother passed away recently. She signed and dated the typed will without any witness or was it notarized. I believe such will is not valid. My siblings (brother and sister) have all seen the typed non valid will and are 100% in agreement of all her estate transfering to me, as I have lived with her and paid all the upkeep for the last 20-years. Her estate has no debt, as I paid for the funeral cost, bills and other liabilities. My mother estate has $56,000 in cash/savings and $215,000 (tax value) house that’s all paid off. The intestate rule state 1/3 (3 children and father passed away a while back) of the asset be split. Is there an affidavit that my siblings can sign to not accept their share of the home (real property)? Without going through lengthy process. I have told my siblings that I would give all other asset to them. Also, I believe my case would involve Determination of Heirship. And, would that process be the right one where the banks would get all their forms to sign off on transfering the asset?
Thank you so much.
You are correct that a typed document that is not properly witnessed is NOT a Will and has no force and affect.
When someone dies without a Will, it passes by intestacy, and the state determines how it will pass according to their laws. The heirs cannot “agree” to change that to pass it differently. So, if your siblings are entitled to inherit something from your mother, once it is theirs, they can gift it to you if they wish. However, they cannot “agree” to change how the distribution will go so that it passes the way you know your mother would have wanted. The only way that could have been done would have been for her to prepare a valid Will. (Please note, too, that if your brother and sister gift you things, they also need to be concerned about gift tax consequences.)
The house could not be passed through a Small Estate Affidavit, since it is not the homestead for your and your siblings. There is a possibility that you may be able to transfer the rest of her estate using a Small Estate Affidavit, and using an Affidavit of Heirship for the house, but that could cause a possible cloud on title if a title company wants to make sure that there is some type of court order determining who all the heirs are. So if that is the case, a Determination of Heirship is another way to clearly establish who all the heirs are and the percentage that they are entitled to under the law. The bank, however, will most likely also require Letters of Administration to distribute the funds, so you could also file for an Independent Administration by Agreement. This would also allow you to seek reimbursement for the funeral expenses and any costs of last illness and debts of the estate, including the costs of administration before any distributions are made. That way, any amounts that may be gifted back could be reduced legitimately, and reduce possible gift tax as well. You should discuss this with an attorney in your area.
Ms. Bradie, thank you so much for your feed back. Yes, I am planning on hiring an attorney to handle my mother’s estate, however, I just wanted to be prepared and to let my siblings know what direction will be best for all of us. And, we would like to avoid any gift tax beyond $15,000 for 2018.
Few more questions:
A. Can my siblings file Disclaim of Inheritance for the real property only with the probate court?
B. Would the Disclaim of Inheritance allow myself to inherit the real property?
C. Would this process be lengthy and more expensive for an attorney to handle?
Thank you so much.
Luke, it is possible to disclaim only some assets and not others. However, if they disclaim those assets, they are treated as if they predeceased your mother. That may result in the property passing to their children, rather than you. I would strongly suggest that you sit down with your attorney to discuss the details of your specific situation to figure out what would be the best approach.
My exwife has asked me to help advise her on handling the estate of her current husband. I am an attorney but not licensed in Texas or familiar with Texas probate law. 2 questions on Small estate affidavit-
1 first am i correct that the $ amount has been raised to $75,000 since your article was printed?
2 If property is held in joint tennancy or POD, so it passes by operation of law (such as a car or bank account) would this not be included in valuing of the estate?
Texas has a procedure that allows inheritors to skip probate altogether when the value of all the assets left behind is less than a certain amount. All an inheritor has to do is prepare a short document, stating that he or she is entitled to a certain asset. This document, signed under oath, is called an affidavit. When the person or institution holding the property — for example, a bank where the deceased person had an account — gets the affidavit and a copy of the death certificate, it releases the asset.
The out-of-court affidavit procedure is available in Texas if there is no will, and the value of the entire estate, not including homestead and exempt property, is $75,000 or less. It can be used to transfer homestead, but no other real estate. There is a 30-day waiting period.
The affidavit must include the following information:
a statement that all of the conditions above have been met
a list of all known estate assets and debts
a list of assets the inheritor claims are exempt, and
the names and addresses of each inheritor the relationship between the inheritors and the deceased person to establish their legal right to inherit the property.
Two witnesses and each inheritor must sign the affidavit. The witnesses must have no legal right to inherit the property. A probate judge must approve the affidavit. Tex. Est. Code § 205.
Simplified Probate Procedures
Texas has a simplified probate process for small estates. To use it, an executor files a written request with the local probate court asking to use the simplified procedure. The court may authorize the executor to distribute the assets without having to jump through the hoops of regular probate.
You can use the simplified small estate process in Texas if the value of the property doesn’t exceed the homestead, exempt property, and what’s needed to pay the family allowance and certain creditors. Tex. Est. Code § 354.001.
The executor must still file an inventory, an appraisal of the value of the property, and a list of creditor claims against the estate. The executor may be required to pay a bond, which is a type of insurance that protects the estate from wrongful conduct by the executor. The court will order the payment of certain claims, and the executor should pay these claims in the order of provided by the court. The executor prepares an accounting and submits it for the court’s approval. If there is any property left after paying the claims, the court can order the executor to distribute the remaining property as it instructs.
“Independent administration” is available — regardless of the value of the estate — if it’s requested in the will or if all inheritors agree to it. The executor submits the deceased person’s will and files an inventory, an appraisal of the value of the property, and a list of creditor claims against the estate with the probate court. Bond may be waived. There is no need for any further proceedings in front of the probate court. Tex. Est. Code § 401.
How do you sell property that is listed in Small Estate Affidavit?
My mother passed away the end of September 2019. Mom did such a great job with everything except her life insurance policy. The life insurance did not have a beneficiary listed and the check came to us as to the estate of _____. The banks are telling us we have to get a small estate affidavit. everything I have read say that it is used only if there is no will. Mom had a will. Like I said she did such a great job with everything else but this. What do we do at this point.
You will need to probate your mother’s Will. You are correct. A Small Estate Affidavit is supposed to be used when there is NO Will. In your situation, you also have a check that is made payable to your mother’s Estate. In order to deposit that check, you need to have an “Estate Account”, and the only way to open up an Estate Account is by having some type of representative appointed to act on behalf of your mother’s estate. Since your mother had a Will, someone would be appointed Executor to get Letters Testamentary (just a fancy word for a one-page court order showing the Executor’s authority to act on behalf of the estate). If there was no Will, then someone would need to be appointed Administrator, and they would need to get Letters of Administration. With Letters Testamentary, you can get an EIN (Employer Identification Number) from the IRS for the estate (since you can’t use your mother’s Social Security Number any more after she passed away) to open the account. But with that EIN and the Letter Testamentary, you can open up the Estate Account at the bank and deposit the check. It is pretty easy, really. If she has other property, like a house, or cars, then the Executor would transfer those as well, according to the terms of her Will. I hope that helps.
If you are referring to real property, when the Small Estate Affidavit (SEA) and Order are recorded in the real property records in the county where the Decedent resided at the time of death, that will transfer any interest in the homestead according to the SEA. So, if the interest passed from a husband to a wife, according to the heirship declaration that is in the SEA that the Judge signed the Order on, it will show that 100% of the husband’s community property interest passed to wife, since the intestate share is shown in the SEA. The recording of the SEA basically acts like a deed transferring the interest in the property to the person who is entitled to it under the laws of intestacy. When, in our example, wife then owns it, the wife can then sell the property, just as if there was a deed listing the property in her name alone. A title company would pull that information when they did a title search if she were ever going to list the house for sale, and she would show up as the sole owner.
If it is for the transfer of other titled personal property, like title to a car, they heirs that were shown to have an interest in it would take the certified copies of the SEA and Order over to the Tax Office with the car title, and ask that title be changed over into their name or names. Once it is in their name or names, they can do with it as they wish, just like any other owner of a vehicle could. Did that answer your question?
The cap for a Small Estate Affidavit is now $75,000. It does exclude funds that are passing outside of probate, such as by beneficiary designation, right of survivorship, payable on death, etc., when it is passing by a contractually agreement with an entity, like a financial institution or insurance company. The $75,000 is exclusive of homestead (which could be over $2 million, and the estate could still qualify). It will not pass any other real property except for real property that is also passing as homestead to the party that would inherit as an heir, and this type of Affidavit is presented to a Judge who considerers the matter on submission, and if approved, signs an Order on the Small Estate Affidavit. So, the Distributees (or what you are calling the inheritors) don’t really “skip probate altogether” as you stated. They do file their paperwork by affidavit, under oath, sworn to by all heirs as well as two disinterested witnesses, and then it is submitted for consideration by the Judge generally without a hearing. However, the Judge could request a hearing if the Judge felt that it was appropriate. It is an action that is granted in equity, rather than in law, so even though an estate may qualify for a Small Estate Administration, it is not “entitled” to one unless the court deems it so.
You have included some other very abbreviated information regarding probate procedures in Texas, some when there is a Will, and others when there is none. If you reach out to my office, we could probably talk with you briefly and let you know very quickly which is the best route for her to take for her husband’s estate. It can safe you a lot of time and research.
My Mother passed without a will, the last few months she came to live with us. in that time we discovered that she was not doing the best job in keeping up with her finances, and it was a struggle to get her to remember all the passwords to this that and the other. there were also a few hospital trips in there as well. with all that being said, she passed and did left about ~25k in total in accounts.
My sibling and I are wary to use the small estate affidavit as we know that there could be liabilities out there that we are unaware of as my mother only lived with us for 2 and 1/2 months before passing, i do not believe that she ever got her address changed.
everything that i have read about notice to creditors has been in regards to probate. would a notice to creditors act as a barrier if claims are not presented in due time as it does in probate?
Also it is somewhat of a possibility that the estate is not solvent pending medical bills. this could be especially true if we have to go through an independent administration process.
My widowed mother passed in August 2019 with no will and minimal debts. I understand that all assets need to be listed on a SEA, with some exceptions such as POD or right of survivorship accounts (please confirm that these accounts are not listed). That being said, would the children (heirs) need to list a loan made to a grandchild (non-heir) if there was no promissory note, no payment since 2012 and little likelihood of being able to collect? If it needs to be listed with the appropriate distribution percentage, is it up to the heirs to attempt to collect or not to attempt to collect on the loan?
In lieu of a SEA, could a Family Settlement Agreement be used when there is no will? Can a FSA be presented to a bank for payout of non right of survivorship accounts?
Thank you in advance for your response! Your blog has been very informative.
You should wait to see what the medical bills are that come in from your mother’s estate. They will most likely be sent to her old address, but you can request a forwarding address change be filed. You are not personally responsible to pay the debts of your mother’s estate; only her estate is responsible for payment of her own debts. If she has an insolvent estate, then you would NOT be able to file a Small Estate Affidavit, since one of the requirements is that it be a solvent estate.
Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing. Creditors also have the right to file an action in probate if they wish to try to collect, though they rarely do. Creditors prefer to file claims in an estate that has already been opened. If the creditors should open a probate estate, they will always be paid first before any heirs will inherit property. When the decedent only has a small estate and creditors may not know of any assets, it is pretty unlikely that any creditors will invest the money themselves to open a probate case.
If all that your mother had was bank accounts, and if no creditor files any probate action, eventually those accounts will go dormant and will escheat to the State. When that happens, you then have an opportunity to try to collect the funds through Unclaimed Property with the State Comptroller’s Office. This will take many years, so you just would need to check periodically. The Comptroller’s Office would then let you know what forms you would need to provide to collect unclaimed property as the heirs of the deceased’s estate when no probate action has ever been filed. It is free to check for unclaimed property under your mother’s name, and you should check with the Comptroller’s Office of every state that your mother lived in.
There is insufficient information to know if a Small Estate Affidavit would be appropriate in your mother’s situation based on the information that you provided, since it must meet specific requirements in order to qualify, including value of estate, and it must be a solvent estate. That means that there must be sufficient non-exempt asset available to pay even those minimal debts; not just assets in general v. debts.
As far as the loan that has allegedly been in default since 2012, it is now 8 years in default and well past the statute of limitations, so would not be listed as a claim owed to the estate. Further, with a Small Estate Affidavit, there is no one that is charged with authority to act on behalf of the estate, so no one would have authority to pursue collection on behalf of the estate. All the court does is determine the interest that the heirs have, and then the heirs would be able to purse collection of their own interests, in their own names. There is no Executor or Administrator with a Small Estate Affidavit.
Finally, a Family Settlement Agreement is not going to be binding on a financial institution in lieu of a court’s order, whether it be an Order on a Small Estate Affidavit, or an Order appointing someone as an Administrator after a Determination of Heirship.
You would not list non-probate assets in a Small Estate Affidavit, but I get the impression that you might have some more complicated issues involved with your mother’s estate. Since Small Estate Affidavits need to be pretty precise, I would recommend that you discuss your mother’s estate with an attorney that handles estate and probate work in your area to confirm the best type of probate action for your particular situation.
My mom passed away unfortunately with no will in place. She did not own any property, just her vehicle and personal belongings. She has a small amount of money in her bank account, and unfortunately medical bills. Based on the bank I need to get a SEA to close out her account. My main questions are: do I require an attorney to get the SEA? And since my mom didn’t own any property or have any co-signers, can I be sued or held liable for her medical bills that are unpaid?
Thank you in advance!!
My mother did not have a will when she passed away. No real assets and small amount of money in her bank account. The bank stated I need a SEA to close out her account. With dealing with the SEA, am I required to use a lawyer? Also with her remaining debt can I be sued or held liable?
Thank you!
My son passed a couple months ago and he was in his 60’s. My son has basically lived most of his later years with me due to his illness. He has two grow children who has never lived with him and live in another state.
I beared the funeral expenses and round trip foe his adult children to come for the funeral. I also gave the some money while they were here. My son had very limited funds. I filed an SEA and I listed myself as a distributor for his funds from his bank acct to be awarded to me. I was advised mothers are unable to list themselves as distributors and was told to consider an atty. I have already paid the filing fee and if I have to get an atty there wouldn’t be anything left. The children had agreed to me getting the balance from his acct. what affordable suggestions do you have.
Thanks,
The medical bills are debts owed by the estate, and need to be paid before any heirs-at-law can inherit. If there is a solvent estate that would qualify for a Small Estate Affidavit, all of those medical bills would need to be listed so that the financial institution could pay the bills directly. If that particular jurisdiction had the funds turned over to the heirs with the understanding that they pay the bills instead, and you kept the money rather than paying the bills, then yes, you could be responsible for those bills that you were supposed to pay but did not. However, your mother’s estate is really the only party responsible for paying your mother’s medical bills.
If the estate is not solvent, you may not be able to file for a SEA. Sometimes you need to wait until the statute of limitations runs on the medical bills before filing for the SEA. It can be filed more than 4 years after the death of a person. Additionally, if no action is taken, eventually the funds in the bank will escheat to the state, and you can then try to collect the funds showing that you are an heir through Unclaimed Property with the Comptroller’s Office. Hope that helps.
The debts of the estate are only the obligation of the estate, unless you do something that is wrongful, making yourself responsible. You must list ALL debts on the Small Estate Affidavit so that they can be paid first before anything left is distributed to the heirs at law. If you do not list them, and you know that they exist, you can be held responsible since you are swearing under oath (under penalty of perjury) that all of the debts of the estate have been listed, and the creditor has a right to come back after the heirs to collect the money as well. Most jurisdictions do not require that you have an attorney to file a SEA, but some counties still do. You can check by calling your local county clerk’s office.
When someone dies without a Will, their property will pass according to that state’s intestacy laws. It doesn’t matter if the heirs at law are good people, or not, if they have been helpful, or not, if they want the property, or not. You are NOT able to change the distribution of intestacy by agreement. Once the parties inherit the money or property, they are free to give it away, if they truly don’t want it. But they have to get it first. That is what the law of intestacy says. If you don’t like the distribution of intestacy, then prepare a Will. You might be able to file a claim as a creditor in the estate, but it must still be a solvent estate, and the heirs must all be willing to cooperate. Once they inherit under a SEA, if they wish to gift the funds back to you, they can, but there is no guarantee that they will. You may wish to discuss this with a local attorney to see if a that would be the best probate procedure to use.
My father in law passed away. He had no wife and only one daughter. His estate is under 75000 which Includes his homestead, cars, and small bank accounts. Can his real property transfer to his daughter using a SEA? Side note, she is living there if that makes a difference. Also, he has my wife as a beneficiary (POD) on his bank account and 401k, is this excluded from his estate since she is beneficiary? If not, that will make his estate exceed the $75k.
If the house was not the daughter’s homestead prior to her father’s death, then the house can’t be transferred by Small Estate Affidavit. If the bank account and 401K list her as beneficiary, or POD, then they should pass to her directly, and those amounts should not be included in determining if the estate falls within the jurisdictional amount in Texas. Assuming that the estate otherwise qualifies for the SEA, she may need to use the SEA for all other property than the house, and then file an Affidavit of Heirship for that if there are no other debts owed, save for possibly a mortgage on the house (where it is secured by a lien on the real property.) That is what I have sometimes referred to as a “Texas Two-Step”. Hope that helps.
My mother recently passed she had no will. The only asset she had was a small bank account and a vehicle, she had no debt. There is 5 of us siblings. 2 from her first marriage and 3 from her second marriage. Although she had been separated from her husband 4 years she was still legally married. What would be the easiest way to close her account? Does the SEA have to filed with the court? or can the affidavit be notarized and taken to bank along with death certificate to close.
I understand that if a spouse passes away without a will, has minor children with current spouse and an adult child from a previous relationship, the part of the decedents estate is divided among the children according the Texas law. The question is if the decedent only had a home, which the spouse will use as homestead for her and the minor children and the adult child who lived there too, and all other assets of the estate are under 75,000, can a small estate affidavit be used to settle the other assets such as small bank accounts etc? There is a part in the SEA requirement that states The only real property that can be transferred by an SEA is Decedent’s homestead property. Even then, real property cannot be transferred by an SEA unless the real property will be inherited only by an heir who was homesteading with the Decedent at the time Decedent died – a surviving spouse or unmarried child of Decedent who resided on property with Decedent. Ive also seen it stated that it can “only” be transferred to spouse and minor children which is confusing. Bottom line, given the scenario, can a small estate affidavit be used for a homestead, surviving spouse, minor children and adult step child?
Also in conjuction with the previous comment. If the adult step child is not interested in responsibility in the home, and a small affidavit does not work in the scenario, could a affidavit of heirship work in establishing the heirs of the real property, then have her sign her portion of the deed over? Thus allowing the small affidavit to be effective in not having to transfer property to the adult step child who may not be considered in using the property as a homestead?
The short answer is no. The surviving spouse only retains their 1/2 community interest in the homestead. It can’t be used to transfer the interest to the adult step child.
There is insufficient information to know if an Affidavit of Heirship would even be appropriate. However, if an Affidavit of Heirship is filed, and then the heirs start deeding their interests to one another, it doesn’t then allow a Judge to come up with different Heirs for a Small Estate Affidavit, whether they are interested in using the property as homestead or not. It doesn’t work that way. You can’t change the laws of intestacy.
Mom passed with no will. There are 10 surviving adults children. One that resided with her as caregiver ( still living in house) She has several bank accounts estimate total 10k. Real estate property (with mortgage still owed) what is the best course of action with so many heirs? Would SME be the best course of action and with so many heirs would it be wise to file for an admistration?
How are debts paid from a solvent estate when using a SEA? There is only one heir – the husband. There is some community cash in deceased wife’s bank account (no beneficiary listed), and husband was not listed as joint owner. There are some outstanding medical bills (not large).
Our mother passed away in 2016. She had a Will, but we never found it. She had no assets so there was no need for probate. She had a burial association policy which has ended up in a lawsuit because my brother and I, who are the only heirs, dispute the benefit amount. A Motion for Summary Disposition Without Prejudice was granted because we were not considered representatives of her estate. Is there a way for my brother to be issued Letters given the amount of time that has passed? Is there any other way for him to be named a representative?
There is no legal separation in Texas, so she is still married. If the bank account and the vehicle were community property, that means that regardless of how the property was titled, your mother owned half and your father owned half. Under Texas’ intestacy laws (whether by SEA or Determination of Heirship), if your mother was married but had children from a prior marriage, then her husband would just retain his half of the community property, and her half would pass equally to her five children. If filing a Small Estate Affidavit, all heirs, including her husband and two disinterested witnesses would need to sign before a notary public, and it would need to be filed with the court. Only if the Judge signed the Order and you got a certified copy of the Small Estate Affidavit and Order and took that to the bank would the bank issue money to the heirs in the percentages that they were entitled to receive.
Assuming that the estate qualifies for a SEA (it must be solvent, meaning that the NON-EXEMPT assets must exceed the liabilities), when you list the debts of the estate, naming each creditor by name, with their address and the amount of the debt owed, the bank may issue payment directly to the creditor. On occasion, the bank will turn the funds over to the applicant and have them make the payment as well, but if the creditor does not get paid, this could cause problems for the bank, so they may not wish to do so. Some banks wait until the creditor comes asking for payment with the SEA & Order.
Since the house is not the homestead of the children, it can’t be transferred using a SEA. The only option would be to file for a Determination of Heirship. If all of the heirs agree, not just the surviving children, they can request an Independent Administration. If any of them are minors, or incapacitate, they can’t agree, and it will need to be a Dependent Administration.
Letters Testamentary can only be granted if a Will has been filed within 4 years of a person’s death. Letters of Administration can only be granted if an Administration has been filed within 4 years of a person’s death. Period. There is no exception to the rule. The Judge does not have jurisdiction to grant Letters or any type of administration after 4 years. A Will may be filed for Probate after 4 years as a Muniment of Title if you can prove to the court that you were not in default in failing to present the Will for probate within four years of Decedent’s death, and providing that you serve all heirs at law with process, or get waivers from them. However, if it is more than 4 years from death and the Will has not been filed for probate, it is impossible to be named Executor or Administrator.