(a) Unless otherwise provided in the contract, a personal representative is not individually liable on a contract properly entered into in the personal representative’s fiduciary capacity in the course of administration of the estate unless the personal representative fails to reveal the representative’s capacity and identify the estate in the contract.

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Terms Used In Hawaii Revised Statutes 560:3-808

  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
  • Indemnification: In general, a collateral contract or assurance under which one person agrees to secure another person against either anticipated financial losses or potential adverse legal consequences. Source: FDIC
(b) A personal representative is individually liable for obligations arising from ownership or control of the estate or for torts committed in the course of administration of the estate only if the personal representative is personally at fault.
(c) Claims based on contracts entered into by a personal representative in the personal representative’s fiduciary capacity, on obligations arising from ownership or control of the estate or on torts committed in the course of estate administration may be asserted against the estate by proceeding against the personal representative in the personal representative’s fiduciary capacity, whether or not the personal representative is individually liable therefor.
(d) Issues of liability as between the estate and the personal representative individually may be determined in a proceeding for accounting, surcharge or indemnification or other appropriate proceeding.