Title 14 — ESTATES OF DECEDENTS

14-101. County treasurer as public administrator — Oath and bond — New or additional bond. The county treasurers of the various counties of this state are hereby declared to be ex officio public administrators in their respective counties. Each public administrator shall, before …

14-102. Estates to be administered. (1) Every public administrator must make an initial determination of the absence of an heir or will, and take charge of the estates of persons who, upon their death, reside within his county, as follows: (a) Of the estates of decedents for whic…

14-103. Authority prior to appointment — Procurement of letters. When a county treasurer is entitled to administer an estate as public administrator, prior to appointment he is authorized to act on behalf of the estate to identify, secure, protect and take charge of all tangible …

14-104. Death of intestate stranger — Public administrator to be notified. Whenever a stranger, or person without known heirs, dies intestate in the house or on the premises of another, the possessor of such premises, or anyone knowing the facts, must give notice thereof to the p…

14-105. Inventory by public administrator — Procedures and distribution of residual. (1) The public administrator must make and return an inventory of all assets of estates taken into his possession, less debts of the decedent and projected costs of administration. Such net inven…

14-106. Delivery of estate to executor. If, at any time, letters testamentary or letters of administration are regularly granted to any other person on an estate of which the public administrator has charge, the public administrator must, under the order of the magistrate court, …

14-107. officials to notify administrator of decedent’s property. All public officials shall, within seventy-two (72) hours of knowledge of a death and upon verification of no legal next of kin or administrator of the decedent’s estate, inform the public administrator of and make…

14-108. Suits to recover property. The public administrator must institute all suits and prosecutions necessary to recover the property, debts, papers or other estate of the decedent.

14-109. Examination of alleged embezzlers. When the public administrator complains to the judge, on oath, that any person has concealed, embezzled or disposed of, or has in his possession any money, goods, property or effects, to the possession of which such administrator is enti…

14-110. Conduct of examination — Contempt. All such interrogatories and answers must be reduced to writing and signed by the party examined and filed in the probate court. If the person so cited refuses to appear and submit to such an examination, or to answer such interrogatorie…

14-111. Public administrator — Court may require account. The court may, at any time, order the public administrator to account for and deliver all the money and property of an estate in his hands to the heirs, or to the executors or administrators regularly appointed.

14-112. Returns by public administrator. The public administrator must, once in every six (6) months, make to the judge, under oath, a return of all estates of decedents which have come into his hands, the value of the same, the money which has come into his hands from each estat…

14-113. Unclaimed moneys — Payment into public school permanent endowment fund — Escheat. After a final settlement of the affairs of any estate, if there are no heirs or other claimants thereof, the administrator shall submit a report of abandoned property and proceed to dispose …

14-114. Public administrator — Restriction on interest in affairs of estate. The public administrator must not be interested in the expenditures of any kind, made on account of any estate he administers, nor must he be associated, in business or otherwise, with anyone who is so i…

14-115. Proceedings against public administrator. When it appears that any money remains in the hands of the public administrator (after a final settlement of the estate) unclaimed, which should be paid over to the state tax commission the judge must order the same to be paid ove…

14-116. Provisions of probate code — Application to public administrator. When no direction is given in this chapter for the government or guidance of a public administrator in the discharge of his duties, or for the administration of an estate in his hands, the provisions of the…

14-117. Intestate decedents without heirs or without known heirs — Duty of public administrator — Personal fees not allowed. It shall be the mandatory duty of the several county treasurers as ex officio public administrators to cause to be instituted all probate proceedings neces…

14-118. Prosecuting attorney to represent public administrator. It shall be the mandatory duty of the prosecuting attorney of each county to represent the public administrator of such county without charge in all probate proceedings instituted under this act or chapter 2 of title…

14-119. Effect of discovery of heir. In event any heir of a decedent shall be discovered prior to distribution of any estate probated as herein provided, nothing herein contained shall operate to invalidate any probate proceedings had prior to appearance of such heir in the proba…

14-120. Costs and fees allowed where heir or creditors refuse to administer estate. (1) When an heir or creditor of an estate competent to institute probate proceedings exists, the county treasurer shall not be required to act as public administrator unless an heir or creditor fi…