{"id":807,"date":"2020-01-14T11:35:55","date_gmt":"2020-01-14T16:35:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=807"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:20:32","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:20:32","slug":"if-you-inherit-a-house-act-a-cautionary-tale-about-putting-off-probate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/if-you-inherit-a-house-act-a-cautionary-tale-about-putting-off-probate\/","title":{"rendered":"If You Inherit a House, Act. A Cautionary Tale About Putting Off Probate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/putting-off-probate-1024x537.jpg\" alt=\"Image of part of a house on a cliff near a fog covered body of water. Captioned: Real Estate Inheritance, A Cautionary Tale About Putting Off Probate.\" class=\"wp-image-808\" width=\"512\" height=\"269\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/putting-off-probate-1024x537.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/putting-off-probate-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/putting-off-probate-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/putting-off-probate.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 512px) 100vw, 512px\" \/><figcaption>A Cautionary Tale About Putting Off Probate<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mysanantonio.com\/life\/life_columnists\/paul_premack\/article\/Wills-are-not-self-enacting-14928167.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">Five years ago in Texas,<\/a> John died, willing his house to a nephew, A.W.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Today, A.W.\nwants to get ready to sell the house, and pay off some debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here\u2019s the\nrub. The will never went through probate, and a different relative of John&#8217;s\nhas been living in the home all this time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who gets the\nhouse?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A.W. was\nnamed as the next owner in&nbsp;the will, and never <a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/refusing-to-accept-a-deed\/\">refused the\ndeed<\/a>. So,&nbsp;legally, A.W. owns it, right?&nbsp;Wrong. Procrastination is\nthe thief of assets, as A.W. learned the hard way. A will does not enact\nitself. It has to be probated according to a timeline.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<!--more-->\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">You\nAre Named in the Deceased Homeowner&#8217;s&nbsp;Will. The Deed Is Now Yours.\nRight?&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As A.W. can\nnow tell you, legal steps and deadlines apply to the executor who&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/forms\/texas\/executor-deed\/\">transfers&nbsp;Texas\nproperty<\/a> after its owner dies. Beneficiaries can&#8217;t just sit on the will and\nclaim their property in their own time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In any\nstate, if&nbsp;you are named as the executor of a will (as A.W. was), with\ndirections&nbsp;to transfer an interest in the house to yourself or another person,&nbsp;you\nare responsible for getting the will into probate in a timely manner. Probate\nis vital.&nbsp;Granted,&nbsp;many states provide informal&nbsp;probate for\nsimple&nbsp;estates.&nbsp;But eligibility must be determined by the court.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In&nbsp;probate,\nthe court determines:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>If the will is legally valid.<\/li><li>If the will&#8217;s named executor may represent the estate of the deceased.<\/li><li>If the will is uncontested. <\/li><li>That notice has properly gone out to creditors, advising them of their own timeline to claim repayments from the estate.<\/li><li>That the estate has paid the decedent&#8217;s estate expenses, debts, and any applicable federal and state taxes.<\/li><li>That the assets are properly accounted for and distributed.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So, only\nthrough a properly supervised&nbsp;probate process can the will effect\na&nbsp;transfer of the deed. By the conclusion of probate, a deed will\nbe&nbsp;publicly recorded in the county, giving notice to the world of\na&nbsp;home&#8217;s new&nbsp;ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What&#8217;s\nthe Deadline for Getting a Will Into Probate?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Filing\ndeadlines vary&nbsp;widely from state to state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A&nbsp;will in Colorado must go into probate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.denbar.org\/Public\/Public-Legal-Information\/Probate-in-Colorado\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">within 10 days<\/a> of its maker&#8217;s death. <a rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" href=\"http:\/\/codes.ohio.gov\/orc\/2107.10v1\" target=\"_blank\">Ohio<\/a>&nbsp;allows beneficiaries who know about&nbsp;a will to take up to a year to submit&nbsp;it to&nbsp;probate, but if they deliberately stall or hide&nbsp;a will, they lose the right to&nbsp;inherit through it. The assets they forfeit pass to the innocent&nbsp;heirs in accordance with&nbsp;state law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Not\nsurprisingly, many&nbsp;states impose penalties for failing to present&nbsp;a\nwill to the court.&nbsp;For example, those&nbsp;in the state of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/codes.findlaw.com\/wa\/title-11-probate-and-trust-law\/wa-rev-code-11-20-010.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Washington<\/a>&nbsp;who\n\u201cwillfully&#8221; fail&nbsp;to file&nbsp;a&nbsp;will are&nbsp;liable to the\npeople they harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under state\nlaw, A.W., as the&nbsp;person holding John&#8217;s&nbsp;original will,&nbsp;ought to\nhave submitted it to the probate court in&nbsp;John&#8217;s home county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Then,&nbsp;probate\u2014not\nJohn&#8217;s&nbsp;will, not&nbsp;a personal relationship\u2014could have authorized\nthe&nbsp;will to become effective, and transferred the house to A.W. with a\nclear title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\nIs Muniment of Title?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The transfer\nof John&#8217;s house is controlled by the laws of Texas. There, a will has to go\ninto&nbsp;probate within four years from the day its maker died. Once that\ndeadline&nbsp;passed without proper action, the probate court could no longer\nappoint A.W. as executor. At that point, the will could no longer be accepted\nas valid\u2014except through a legal process&nbsp;called <em>muniment of title.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For that exception to apply, A.W. would have had to meet three criteria <a href=\"https:\/\/statutes.capitol.texas.gov\/Docs\/ES\/htm\/ES.257.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">under state law<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A.W. had an adequate explanation for missing the deadline.<\/li><li>The will&#8217;s action was limited to transferring title to A.W.\u2014the person it named.<\/li><li>The heirs that would inherit the property under Texas default inheritance law allowed the recognition of the will. (All states have a list of family situations to establish inheritance priority if no valid will can be found.)<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">By failing to act,&nbsp;A.W. allowed the home&#8217;s title to pass&nbsp;to another relative: John&#8217;s sibling, who lived in the home and who had priority over A.W. under the <a href=\"https:\/\/statutes.capitol.texas.gov\/Docs\/ES\/htm\/ES.201.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\" (opens in a new tab)\">default inheritance priority list<\/a> set forth by Texas&nbsp;law.&nbsp;Without timely probate, title&nbsp;passed to John&#8217;s sibling, the&nbsp;<em>heir-at-law.&nbsp;<\/em>John&#8217;s sibling clearly had no desire to&nbsp;give the house up to A.W. through muniment of title.&nbsp;The sibling&#8217;s claim to the house is official once&nbsp;an <em>affidavit of heirship<\/em>&nbsp;is recorded in the county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/article-meme.jpg\" alt=\"Image (Meme) of a male person with long hair captioned: A Will Does Not Simply Enact Itself.\" class=\"wp-image-809\" width=\"326\" height=\"192\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/article-meme.jpg 651w, https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/article-meme-300x176.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 326px) 100vw, 326px\" \/><figcaption>A Will Does Not Simply Enact Itself<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\">As&nbsp;for\nA.W., it&#8217;s&nbsp;a case of you-snooze-you-lose.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Regardless\nof Prompt Action by the Will Beneficiary, Can a Home&#8217;s&nbsp;Occupant Try to\nClaim It?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What if we\ncould turn back the clock, and urge A.W. to act quickly to preserve the\nright&nbsp;to receive John&#8217;s&nbsp;home?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">John&#8217;s\nsibling might have objected to the will,&nbsp;hoping&nbsp;to avoid being kicked\nout of the house. Assuming John&#8217;s will was correctly made under the state&#8217;s\nrequirements, A.W. should have had no trouble executing the will and receiving\nthe home as John intended. A&nbsp;probate court&#8217;s mission is to carry out the\nintentions of the deceased, following state law.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Simply\noccupying the home does not make the sibling of the deceased a legal occupant,\nor convey any rights to the title. A.W. would have been entitled to\nreceive&nbsp;John&#8217;s house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A.W. would\nhave been prudent to involve a lawyer to assist with the difficulties inherent\nin such a situation, which could involve&nbsp;the occupant&#8217;s eviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What if the\noccupant had&nbsp;been paying rent to John?&nbsp;A.W. would have had to respect\nthe terms of a valid lease for its&nbsp;full length of time. Alternatively, A.W.\ncould have offered to&nbsp;buy out the lease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Being\nNamed an Executor Is a Badge of Trust.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">It also\ntakes mindfulness, prompt attention,&nbsp;a time commitment, and\nthe&nbsp;willingness to handle potential conflicts.\n\nIf\nyou find yourself in this situation and have questions on&nbsp;how to proceed,\nconsult&nbsp;a&nbsp;probate lawyer. As the estate covers attorney&#8217;s fees, your\ninvestment will be a wise one.\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Five years ago in Texas, John died, willing his house to a nephew, A.W. Today, A.W. wants to get ready to sell the house, and pay off some debt. Here\u2019s the rub. The will never went through probate, and a different relative of John&#8217;s has been living in the home all this time. Who gets [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[107,11,108],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-807","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-elder","category-probate","category-wills"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v28.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>If You Inherit a House, Act. A Cautionary Tale About Putting Off Probate - Deeds.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Don&#039;t putt off probate, you may lose your rights. 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