Chapter 194

Section 1. There shall be in each county one or more public administrators, not exceeding six in Middlesex and in Suffolk or five in any other county, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the council, who shall hold office for five years from the time of their…

Section 10. When an estate has been fully administered by a public administrator, or by the executor or administrator with the will annexed of a person who died leaving no known heirs, he shall deposit any balance in his hands with the state treasurer as abandoned property to be …

Section 11. The probate court in each county shall require every public administrator in such county to render an account of his proceedings under any letters of administration at least once a year until the trust is fulfilled. When, on final settlement of an estate, it appears t…

Section 12. A public administrator shall, upon the appointment and qualification of an executor or administrator as his successor, surrender into the probate court his letters of administration in such case with an account on oath of his doings therein, and, upon a just settlemen…

Section 13. Public administrators shall complete, as soon as they lawfully may, the administration of estates in their hands of which the administration is not complete at the date of the expiration of their terms.

Section 16. If a public administrator neglects to return an inventory, settle an account or perform any other duty incumbent on him in relation to an estate, and there appears to be no heir entitled thereto, the district attorney for the district where the administrator received …

Section 17. If the total value of an estate which has come into the control of a public administrator is less than seven hundred dollars, unless the same is the balance of an estate received from a prior public administrator, he shall forthwith reduce all such property into money…

Section 18. A public administrator, upon making such deposit, shall file with the state treasurer an itemized account, on oath, of all his dealings, receipts, payments and charges on account of the property from which the money so deposited proceeds, including the name of the int…

Section 2. A public administrator shall give bond for the faithful administration of each estate on which letters of administration may be granted to him as such public administrator, with sufficient sureties, in such form as the probate court may order, payable to the judge of s…

Section 4. A public administrator shall, except as hereinafter provided, take out letters of administration and faithfully administer upon the estates of persons who die intestate within his county or elsewhere, leaving property in his county to be administered, if there is no kn…

Section 5. Administration shall not be granted to a public administrator when the husband, widow or an heir of the deceased, in writing, claims the right of administration or requests the appointment of some other suitable person to the trust, if such husband, widow, heir or othe…

Section 5A. Administration shall not be granted to a public administrator until after the expiration of ten days from the date of death.

Section 6. If after citation has been issued by the probate court to a public administrator upon the estate of a deceased person, administration shall not be granted to him for the reason set forth in the preceding section, or because of the finding of a will of the deceased, the…

Section 7. If, after the granting of letters of administration to a public administrator and before the final settlement of the estate, the husband, widow or an heir of the deceased, in writing, claims the right of administration or requests the appointment of some other suitable…

Section 8. Upon the death, resignation or removal of a public administrator, the probate court shall issue a warrant to some other public administrator in the same county, upon his application therefor, requiring him to examine the accounts of such public administrator relative t…

Section 9. Public administrators may be authorized to take charge of the real property of the deceased or of any part thereof situated anywhere within the commonwealth, to lease the same, to collect the rents, and to make such repairs, and do all other things which may be conside…