9 chapters · 399 sections in this title.
SDCL § 29A-3-414 Formal proceedings concerning appointment of personal representative
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(a) A formal proceeding for adjudication regarding the priority or qualification of an applicant for appointment as personal representative, or of a person previously appointed personal representative in informal proceedings, is governed by § 29A-3-402 , as well as by this sectio…
SDCL § 29A-3-501 Supervised administration--Nature of proceeding
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Supervised administration is a single in rem proceeding to secure complete administration and settlement of a decedent's estate under the continuing authority of the court, which extends until entry of an order approving distribution of the estate and discharging the personal rep…
SDCL § 29A-3-502 Supervised administration--Petition--Order
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(a) A petition for supervised administration may be filed by any interested person or by a personal representative at any time or the request for supervised administration may be joined with a petition in a testacy or appointment proceeding. If the testacy of the decedent and the…
SDCL § 29A-3-503 Supervised administration--Effect on other proceedings
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(a) The pendency of a proceeding for supervised administration of a decedent's estate stays action on any informal application then pending or thereafter filed. (b) If a will has been previously probated in informal proceedings, the effect of the filing of a petition for supervis…
SDCL § 29A-3-504 Supervised administration--Powers of personal representative
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Unless restricted by the court, a supervised personal representative has, without interim orders approving exercise of a power, all powers of personal representatives under this code, but a supervised personal representative shall not exercise the power to make any distribution o…
SDCL § 29A-3-505 Supervised administration--Interim orders--Distribution and closing orders
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Unless otherwise ordered by the court, supervised administration is terminated by order in accordance with time restrictions, notices, and contents of orders prescribed for proceedings under §
SDCL § 29A-3-601 Qualification
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Prior to receiving letters, a personal representative shall qualify by filing with the appointing court an acceptance of office and any required bond. Source: SL 1994, ch 232 , § 3-601.
SDCL § 29A-3-602 Acceptance of appointment--Consent to jurisdiction
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By accepting appointment, a personal representative submits personally to the jurisdiction of the court in any proceeding relating to the estate that may be instituted by any interested person. Notice of any proceeding shall be delivered to the personal representative, or mailed …
SDCL § 29A-3-603 Personal representative--Bond not required--Exception
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A bond is not required of a personal representative unless the court concludes that a bond is in the best interests of the estate. Source: SL 1994, ch 232 , § 3-603; SL 2025, ch 90 , § 3.
SDCL § 29A-3-604 Bond amount--Security--Reduction--Procedure
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(a) If bond is required and the provisions of the will or order of appointment do not specify the amount, unless stated in the application or petition, the person qualifying as personal representative shall file a statement under oath with the clerk indicating the person's best e…
SDCL § 29A-3-605 Reserved 29A-3-606 Terms and conditions of bonds
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29A-3-607 Order restraining personal representative. 29A-3-608 Termination of appointment--General. 29A-3-609 Termination of appointment--Death or disability. 29A-3-610 Termination of appointment--Voluntary. 29A-3-611 Termination of appointment by removal--Cause; procedure. 29A-3…
SDCL § 29A-3-606 Terms and conditions of bonds
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(a) The following requirements and provisions apply to any bond required by this part: (1) Bonds shall name the state as obligee for the benefit of the persons interested in the estate and shall be conditioned upon the faithful discharge by the personal representative of all fidu…
SDCL § 29A-3-607 Order restraining personal representative
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(a) On petition of any person who appears to have an interest in the estate, the court by temporary order may restrain a personal representative from performing specified acts of administration, disbursement, or distribution, or exercise of any powers or discharge of any duties o…
SDCL § 29A-3-608 Termination of appointment--General
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Termination of appointment of a personal representative occurs as provided in §§ 29A-3-609 to 29A-3-612 , inclusive. Termination ends the right and power pertaining to the office of personal representative as conferred by this code or any will, except that a personal representati…
SDCL § 29A-3-609 Termination of appointment--Death or disability
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The death of a personal representative or the appointment of a conservator for a personal representative who has been adjudicated a protected person, terminates the personal representative's appointment. Unless a co - representative remains in office, termination by death or appo…
SDCL § 29A-3-610 Termination of appointment--Voluntary
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(a) An appointment of a personal representative terminates as provided in § 29A-3-1003 , one year after the filing of a closing statement. (b) An order closing an estate as provided in § 29A-3-1001 terminates an appointment of a personal representative. (c) A personal representat…
SDCL § 29A-3-611 Termination of appointment by removal--Cause; procedure
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(a) Any interested person may petition for removal of a personal representative for cause at any time. Upon filing of the petition, the court shall fix a time and place for hearing. Notice shall be given by the petitioner to the personal representative, and to other persons as th…
SDCL § 29A-3-612 Termination of appointment--Change of testacy status
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Except as otherwise ordered in formal proceedings, the probate of a will subsequent to the appointment of a personal representative in intestacy, the probate of a later - offered will which supersedes the formal probate of another will, or the vacation of an informal probate of a…
SDCL § 29A-3-613 Successor personal representative
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Parts 3 and 4 of this chapter govern proceedings for appointment of a personal representative to succeed one whose appointment has been terminated. After appointment and qualification, a successor personal representative may be substituted in all actions and proceedings to which …
SDCL § 29A-3-614 Special administrator--Appointment
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A special administrator may be appointed: (1) Informally by the clerk on the application of any interested person when necessary to protect the estate of a decedent prior to the appointment of a general personal representative or, if a prior appointment has been terminated, as pr…
SDCL § 29A-3-615 Special administrator--Who may be appointed
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(a) If a special administrator is to be appointed pending the probate of a will which is the subject of a pending application or petition for probate, the person named personal representative in the will shall be appointed if available and qualified. (b) In other cases, any quali…
SDCL § 29A-3-616 Special administrator--Appointed informally--Powers and duties
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A special administrator appointed by the clerk in informal proceedings pursuant to § 29A-3-614(1) has the duty to collect and manage the assets of the estate, to preserve them, to account therefor, and to deliver them to the general personal representative upon qualification. The…
SDCL § 29A-3-617 Special administrator--Formal proceedings--Power and duties
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A special administrator appointed by order of the court in any formal proceeding has the powers of a general personal representative, except as limited in the order of appointment, and the duties as prescribed in the order. The appointment may be for a specified time, to perform …
SDCL § 29A-3-618 Termination of appointment--Special administrator
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The appointment of a special administrator terminates in accordance with the provisions of the order of appointment or on the appointment of a general personal representative. In other cases, the appointment of a special administrator is subject to termination as provided in §§ 2…
SDCL § 29A-3-701 Time of accrual of duties and powers
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The duties and powers of a personal representative commence upon appointment. The powers of a personal representative relate back in time to give acts by the person appointed which are beneficial to the estate occurring prior to appointment the same effect as those occurring ther…
SDCL § 29A-3-702 Priority among different letters
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A person to whom letters are issued first has exclusive authority under the letters until the appointment is terminated or modified. If, through error, letters are afterwards issued to another, the first appointed representative may recover any property of the estate in the hands…
SDCL § 29A-3-703 General duties--Relation and liability to persons interested in estate--Standing to sue
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(a) A personal representative is a fiduciary who, except as otherwise provided in the will, shall observe the standards of care in dealing with the estate assets that would be observed by a prudent person dealing with the property of another. A personal representative is under a …
SDCL § 29A-3-704 Personal representative to proceed without court order--Exception
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A personal representative shall proceed expeditiously with the settlement and distribution of a decedent's estate and, except as otherwise specified or ordered in regard to a supervised personal representative, shall do so without adjudication, order, or direction of the court, b…
SDCL § 29A-3-705 Duty of personal representative--Information to heirs and devisees
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(a) Not later than fourteen days after appointment, every personal representative, except any special administrator, shall give information of the appointment to the heirs and devisees, including, if there has been no formal testacy proceeding and if the personal representative w…
SDCL § 29A-3-706 Duty of personal representative--Inventory and appraisement
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Within six months after appointment, or nine months after the decedent's death, whichever is later, a personal representative, other than a special administrator or a successor to another representative who has previously discharged this duty, shall prepare an inventory of proper…
SDCL § 29A-3-707 Employment of appraisers
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The personal representative may employ a qualified and disinterested appraiser to assist in ascertaining the fair market value as of the date of the decedent's death of any asset the value of which may not be readily ascertainable. Different persons may be employed to appraise di…
SDCL § 29A-3-708 Duty of personal representative--Supplementary inventory
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If any property not included in the original inventory comes to the knowledge of a personal representative or if the personal representative learns that the value or description indicated in the original inventory for any item is erroneous or misleading, the personal representati…
SDCL § 29A-3-709 Duty of personal representative--Possession of estate
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Except as otherwise provided by a decedent's will, every personal representative has a right to, and shall take possession or control of, the decedent's property, except that any real property or tangible personal property may be left with or surrendered to the person presumptive…
SDCL § 29A-3-710 Power to avoid transfers
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The property liable for the payment of unsecured debts of a decedent includes all property transferred by the decedent by any means which is in law void or voidable as against creditors. Subject to prior liens, the right to recover this property, so far as necessary for the payme…
SDCL § 29A-3-711 Powers of personal representatives--In general
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Until termination of an appointment, a personal representative has the same power over the title to property of the estate that an absolute owner would have, in trust however, for the benefit of the creditors and others interested in the estate. This power may be exercised withou…
SDCL § 29A-3-712 Improper exercise of power--Breach of fiduciary duty
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If the exercise of power concerning the estate is improper, the personal representative is liable to interested persons for damage or loss resulting from breach of fiduciary duty. The rights of purchasers and others dealing with a personal representative shall be determined as pr…
SDCL § 29A-3-713 Sale, encumbrance, or transaction involving conflict of interest--Voidable--Exceptions
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Any sale or encumbrance to the personal representative, the personal representative's spouse, agent or attorney, or any corporation or trust in which the personal representative has a substantial beneficial interest, or any transaction which is affected by a substantial conflict …
SDCL § 29A-3-714 Persons dealing with personal representative--Protection
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A person who in good faith either assists a personal representative or deals with a personal representative for value is protected as if the personal representative was properly authorized to act. The fact that a person deals with a personal representative with knowledge of the r…
SDCL § 29A-3-715 Transactions authorized for personal representatives--Exceptions
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(a) Except as restricted or otherwise provided by the will or by an order in a formal proceeding and subject to the priorities stated in § 29A-3-902 , a personal representative, acting reasonably for the benefit of the estate, may properly: (1) Retain assets owned by the decedent…
SDCL § 29A-3-716 Powers and duties of successor personal representative
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(a) Except as otherwise ordered by the court, a successor personal representative has the same powers and duties as the original personal representative to complete the administration and distribution of the estate, as expeditiously as possible, but the successor shall not exerci…
SDCL § 29A-3-717 Co - representatives--When joint action required
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If two or more persons are appointed co - representatives and unless the will provides otherwise, the concurrence of a majority is required on all acts connected with the administration and distribution of the estate. This restriction does not apply when any co - representative r…
SDCL § 29A-3-718 Powers of surviving personal representative
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Unless the terms of the will otherwise provide, when one or more persons nominated as co - representatives fail or refuse to qualify or accept appointment as personal representative, or when the appointment of one or more co - representatives is terminated as provided in §§ 29A-3…
SDCL § 29A-3-719 Compensation of personal representative
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(a) Personal representatives, attorneys, accountants, appraisers, and other agents of the personal representative are entitled to reasonable compensation for services. Reasonable compensation may include compensation for the services of the agents or employees of the person seeki…
SDCL § 29A-3-720 Expenses in estate litigation
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Any personal representative or person nominated as personal representative who defends or prosecutes any proceeding in good faith, whether successful or not, is entitled to receive from the estate necessary expenses and disbursements including reasonable attorney's fees. The cour…
SDCL § 29A-3-721 Proceedings for review of employment of agents and compensation of personal representatives and employees of estate
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After notice to all interested persons, on petition of an interested person or on appropriate motion if administration is supervised, the court may review the propriety of employment of any person by a personal representative including any attorney, accountant, investment advisor…
SDCL § 29A-3-801 Notice to creditors
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(a) A personal representative upon appointment may publish a notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a legal newspaper in the county in which the proceeding is pending giving the personal representative's name and address and notifying creditors of the deced…
SDCL § 29A-3-802 Statutes of limitations
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(a) Unless an estate is insolvent, or would thereby be rendered insolvent, the personal representative, with the consent of all successors whose interests would be affected, may waive any defense of limitations available to the estate. If the defense is not waived, no claim barre…
SDCL § 29A-3-803 Limitations on presentation of claims
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(a) All claims against a decedent's estate which arose before the death of the decedent, including claims of the state and any subdivision thereof, whether due or to become due, absolute or contingent, liquidated or unliquidated, founded on contract, tort, or other legal basis, i…
SDCL § 29A-3-804 Manner of presentation of claims
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(a) Claims against a decedent's estate may be presented by either of the following methods: (1) The claimant may deliver or mail to the personal representative a written statement of the claim indicating its basis, the name and address of the claimant, and the amount claimed, or …
SDCL § 29A-3-805 Classification of claims
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(a) If the applicable assets of the estate are insufficient to pay all claims in full, the personal representative shall make payment in the following order: (1) Costs and expenses of administration; (2) Reasonable funeral expenses; (3) Debts and taxes with preference under feder…