As a fiduciary, an executor has a duty to protect the beneficiaries' interest by fair dealing in good faith with fidelity and integrity. His or her personal interests may not conflict with their fiduciary obligations to the estate.
An executor has a fiduciary duty to always act in the best interest of the estate. This means that if an executor does not act in the best interest of the estate, they may be subject to court intervention and penalties for a breach of their fiduciary duty.
An estate beneficiary has a right to sue the executor or administrator if they are not competently doing their job or are engaged in fiduciary misconduct.
Standard Executor Compensation This is referred to as the five-and-five rule. However, there are limitations to this commission. It cannot exceed five percent of the gross fair market value of the estate being administered, and it is not applicable in certain situations.
Executor's Role and Timeline for Asset Distribution. In Texas, an executor is given up to three years from their court appointment to distribute assets, excluding those allocated to creditors.
Section 304.003 - Persons Disqualified To Serve As Executor Or Administrator (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), a person is not qualified to serve as an executor or administrator if the person is: (1) incapacitated; (2) a felon convicted under the laws of the United States or of any state of the United States ...
Texas law allows executors to sell property without the beneficiaries' approval, which can be necessary to keep the estate solvent. However, this authority comes with the responsibility of ensuring that the sale is conducted in the best interest of the estate.
Executor's Role and Timeline for Asset Distribution. In Texas, an executor is given up to three years from their court appointment to distribute assets, excluding those allocated to creditors.
As an Executor, what you cannot do is go against the terms of the Will, Breach Fiduciary duty, fail to act, self-deal, embezzle, intentionally or unintentionally through neglect harm the estate, and cannot do threats to beneficiaries and heirs.