Suing An Estate Executor Without A Will In Texas
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If you would like the court to appoint an administrator of the estate, that application must generally be brought within four years after the death of the decedent. The court will often ignore this rule if there is property due to the estate that needs to be collected by an administrator.
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.
If the executor acts dishonestly or carelessly in managing and distributing the estate's property and you stand to inherit under the will, you may be able to bring legal action to have them removed.
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.
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.
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 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.
Liability when an executor makes a mistake Unfortunately, a genuine mistake can sometimes snowball into a much bigger and often expensive problem that can be very complicated to resolve. The executor of an estate can be held personally liable for a mistake that results in a loss to the estate.
A creditor then has a time limit within which they may file a claim against the estate. They must do so within the later of: Six months from when the probate process officially begins (i.e., the date letters testamentary or of administration are granted), or. Four months after the date the mandatory notice is received.
