Title ES, Estates Code

Sec. 356.001. COURT ORDER AUTHORIZING SALE. (a) Except as provided by this chapter, estate property may not be sold without a court order authorizing the sale. (b) Except as otherwise specially provided by this chapter, the court may order estate property to be sold for cash or o…

Sec. 356.002. SALE AUTHORIZED BY WILL. (a) Subject to Subsection (b), if a will authorizes the executor to sell the testator's property: (1) a court order is not required to authorize the executor to sell the property; and (2) the executor may sell the property: (A) at public auc…

Sec. 356.051. SALE OF CERTAIN PERSONAL PROPERTY REQUIRED. (a) After approval of the inventory, appraisement, and list of claims, the personal representative of an estate promptly shall apply for a court order to sell, at public auction or privately, for cash or on credit for a te…

Sec. 356.101. ORDER FOR SALE. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), on the application of the personal representative of an estate or any interested person, the court may order the sale of any estate personal property not required to be sold by Section 356.051, including live…

Sec. 356.102. REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION AND ORDER. To the extent possible, an application and order for the sale of personal property under Section 356.101 must conform to the requirements under Subchapter F for an application and order for the sale of real estate. Added by Ac…

Sec. 356.103. SALE AT PUBLIC AUCTION. Unless the court directs otherwise, before estate personal property is sold at public auction, notice must be: (1) issued by the personal representative of the estate; and (2) posted in the manner notice is posted for original proceedings in …

Sec. 356.104. SALE ON CREDIT. (a) Estate personal property may not be sold on credit at public auction for a term of more than six months from the date of sale. (b) Estate personal property purchased on credit at public auction may not be delivered to the purchaser until the purc…

Sec. 356.105. REPORT; EVIDENCE OF TITLE. (a) A successful bid or contract for the sale of estate personal property shall be reported to the court. The laws regulating the approval or disapproval of a sale of real estate apply to the sale, except that a conveyance is not required.…

Sec. 356.151. AUTHORITY FOR SALE. (a) A personal representative of an estate who has possession of livestock and who considers selling the livestock to be necessary or to the estate's advantage may, in addition to any other method provided by law for the sale of personal property…

Sec. 356.152. CONTENTS OF APPLICATION; HEARING. (a) An application under Section 356.151 must: (1) describe the livestock sought to be sold; and (2) state why granting the application is necessary or to the estate's advantage. (b) The court: (1) shall promptly consider the applic…

Sec. 356.153. GRANT OF APPLICATION. If the court grants an application for the sale of livestock, the court shall: (1) enter an order to that effect; and (2) authorize delivery of the livestock to a commission merchant described by Section 356.151 for sale in the regular course o…

Sec. 356.154. REPORT; PASSAGE OF TITLE. The personal representative of the estate shall promptly report to the court a sale of livestock authorized under this subchapter, supported by a verified copy of the commission merchant's account of the sale. A court order of confirmation …

Sec. 356.155. COMMISSION MERCHANT FEES. A commission merchant shall be paid the merchant's usual and customary charges, not to exceed five percent of the sale price, for the sale of livestock authorized under this subchapter. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 250…

Sec. 356.201. APPLICATION FOR SALE OF MORTGAGED PROPERTY. A creditor holding a claim that is secured by a valid mortgage or other lien and that has been allowed and approved or established by suit may, by filing a written application, obtain from the court in which the estate is …

Sec. 356.202. CITATION. On the filing of an application under Section 356.201, the clerk shall issue a citation requiring the personal representative of the estate to appear and show cause why the application should not be granted. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.…

Sec. 356.203. ORDER. The court may order the lien securing the claim of a creditor who files an application under Section 356.201 to be discharged out of general estate assets or refinanced if the discharge or refinance of the lien appears to the court to be advisable. Otherwise,…

Sec. 356.251. APPLICATION FOR ORDER OF SALE. An application may be made to the court for an order to sell estate property if the sale appears necessary or advisable to: (1) pay: (A) expenses of administration; (B) the decedent's funeral expenses; (C) expenses of the decedent's la…

Sec. 356.252. CONTENTS OF APPLICATION. An application for the sale of real estate must: (1) be in writing; (2) describe: (A) the real estate sought to be sold; or (B) the interest in or part of the real estate sought to be sold; and (3) be accompanied by an exhibit, verified by a…

Sec. 356.253. CITATION. On the filing of an application and exhibit described by Section 356.252, the clerk shall issue a citation to all persons interested in the estate. The citation must: (1) describe the real estate or the interest in or part of the real estate sought to be s…

Sec. 356.254. OPPOSITION TO SALE. During the period prescribed in a citation issued under Section 356.253, any person interested in the estate may file: (1) a written opposition to the sale; or (2) an application for the sale of other estate property. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg…

Sec. 356.255. HEARING ON APPLICATION AND ANY OPPOSITION. (a) The clerk of the court in which an application for an order of sale is filed shall immediately call to the judge's attention any opposition to the sale that is filed during the period prescribed in the citation issued u…

Sec. 356.256. ORDER. (a) The court shall order the sale of the estate property described in an application for an order of sale if the court is satisfied that the sale is necessary or advisable. Otherwise, the court may deny the application and, if the court considers it best, ma…

Sec. 356.257. SALE FOR PAYMENT OF DEBTS. Estate real property selected to be sold for the payment of expenses or claims must be that property the sale of which the court considers most advantageous to the estate. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 2502), Sec. 1, e…

Sec. 356.301. PERMISSIBLE TERMS. Real estate of an estate may be sold for cash, part cash and part credit, or the equity in land securing an indebtedness may be sold subject to the indebtedness, or with an assumption of the indebtedness, at public or private sale, as appears to t…

Sec. 356.302. SALE ON CREDIT. (a) The cash payment for real estate of an estate sold partly on credit may not be less than one-fifth of the purchase price. The purchaser shall execute a note for the deferred payments, payable in monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual installme…

Sec. 356.351. APPLICABILITY OF SUBCHAPTER. This subchapter applies only to real estate owned by an estate as a result of the foreclosure of a vendor's lien or mortgage belonging to the estate: (1) by a judicial sale; (2) by a foreclosure suit; (3) through a sale under a deed of t…

Sec. 356.352. APPLICATION AND ORDER FOR RECONVEYANCE. On proper application and proof, the court may dispense with the requirements for a credit sale prescribed by Section 356.302 and order the reconveyance of foreclosed real estate to the former mortgage debtor or former owner i…

Sec. 356.353. EXCHANGE FOR BONDS. (a) If a court orders the reconveyance of foreclosed real estate as provided by Section 356.352, vendor's lien notes shall be reserved for the total amount of the indebtedness due or for the total amount of bonds that the corporation or agency to…

Sec. 356.401. METHOD OF SALE; REQUIRED NOTICE. (a) A public sale of real estate of an estate shall be made at public auction. Except as otherwise provided by Section 356.403(c), the personal representative of an estate shall advertise a public auction of real estate of the estate…

Sec. 356.402. COMPLETION OF AUCTION. A public auction of real estate of an estate shall be completed on the bid of the highest bidder. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 2502), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2014. Amended by: Acts 2019, 86th Leg., R.S., Ch. 1141 (H.B. 27…

Sec. 356.403. TIME AND PLACE OF AUCTION. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (c), a public auction of real estate of an estate shall be held at: (1) the courthouse door in the county in which the real estate is located, or if the real estate is located in more than one county, t…

Sec. 356.404. CONTINUANCE OF AUCTION. (a) A public auction of real estate of an estate that is not completed on the day advertised may be continued from day to day by an oral public announcement of the continuance made at the conclusion of the auction each day. (b) A continued au…

Sec. 356.405. FAILURE OF BIDDER TO COMPLY. (a) If a person bids off real estate of the estate offered at public auction and fails to comply with the terms of the bid, the property shall be readvertised and auctioned without any further order. (b) The person defaulting on a bid as…

Sec. 356.451. TERMS OF SALE. The personal representative of an estate may enter into a contract for the private sale of real estate of the estate made in the manner the court directs in the order of sale. Unless the court directs otherwise, additional advertising, notice, or cita…

Sec. 356.501. AUTHORIZATION. Easements and rights-of-way on, under, and over the land of an estate that is being administered under court order may be sold and conveyed regardless of whether the sale proceeds are required to pay charges or claims against the estate or for other l…

Sec. 356.502. PROCEDURE. The procedure for the sale of an easement or right-of-way authorized under Section 356.501 is the same as the procedure provided by law for a private sale of estate real property by contract. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 2502), Sec. …

Sec. 356.551. REPORT. A successful bid or contract for the sale of estate real property shall be reported to the court ordering the sale not later than the 30th day after the date the bid is made or the property is placed under contract. The report must: (1) be sworn to, in writi…

Sec. 356.552. ACTION OF COURT ON REPORT. After the expiration of five days from the date a report is filed under Section 356.551, the court shall: (1) inquire into the manner in which the auction or contract described in the report was made; (2) hear evidence in support of or aga…

Sec. 356.553. APPROVAL OF SALE WHEN BOND NOT REQUIRED. If the personal representative of an estate is not required by this title to give a general bond, the court may approve the sale of estate real property in the manner provided by Section 356.556(a) if the court finds that the…

Sec. 356.554. SUFFICIENCY OF BOND. (a) If the personal representative of an estate is required by this title to give a general bond, before the court approves any sale of real estate, the court shall determine whether the bond is sufficient to protect the estate after the sale pr…

Sec. 356.555. INCREASED OR ADDITIONAL BOND NOT REQUIRED. Notwithstanding Sections 356.554(c) and (d), if the real estate sold is encumbered by a lien to secure a claim against the estate and is sold to the owner or holder of the secured claim in full payment, liquidation, and sat…

Sec. 356.556. APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL ORDER. (a) If the court is satisfied that the proposed sale of real property reported under Section 356.551 is for a fair price, properly made, and in conformity with law, and the court has approved any increased or additional bond that the c…

Sec. 356.557. DEED. Real estate of an estate that is sold shall be conveyed by a proper deed that refers to and identifies the court order approving the sale. The deed: (1) vests in the purchaser all right and title of the estate to, and all interest of the estate in, the propert…

Sec. 356.558. DELIVERY OF DEED. (a) After the court has approved a sale and the purchaser has complied with the terms of the sale, the personal representative of the estate shall promptly execute and deliver to the purchaser a proper deed conveying the property. (b) If the sale i…

Sec. 356.559. DAMAGES; REMOVAL. (a) If the personal representative of an estate neglects to comply with Section 356.558, including to file the deed of trust securing a lien in the proper county, the representative and the sureties on the representative's bond shall, after complai…

Sec. 356.601. FAILURE TO APPLY FOR SALE. If the personal representative of an estate neglects to apply for an order to sell sufficient estate property to pay charges and claims against the estate that have been allowed and approved or established by suit, any interested person, o…