Michigan Laws 700.2517 – Opening of safe deposit box
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(1) In the estate of a decedent who died before October 1, 1993, the following apply to the opening of a safe deposit box:
(a) A safe deposit box of which the decedent was an individual or joint lessee may be opened following the decedent’s death only upon compliance with the Michigan estate tax act, 1899 PA 188, MCL 205.201 to 205.256.
Terms Used In Michigan Laws 700.2517
- Claim: includes , but is not limited to, in respect to a decedent's or protected individual's estate, a liability of the decedent or protected individual, whether arising in contract, tort, or otherwise, and a liability of the estate that arises at or after the decedent's death or after a conservator's appointment, including funeral and burial expenses and costs and expenses of administration. See Michigan Laws 700.1103
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Court: means the probate court or, when applicable, the family division of circuit court. See Michigan Laws 700.1103
- Decedent: A deceased person.
- Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
- Estate: includes the property of the decedent, trust, or other person whose affairs are subject to this act as the property is originally constituted and as it exists throughout administration. See Michigan Laws 700.1104
- Fiduciary: A trustee, executor, or administrator.
- Fiduciary: includes , but is not limited to, a personal representative, funeral representative, guardian, conservator, trustee, plenary guardian, partial guardian, and successor fiduciary. See Michigan Laws 700.1104
- Issue: means an individual's descendant. See Michigan Laws 700.1105
- Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
- Person: means an individual or an organization. See Michigan Laws 700.1106
- Petition: means a written request to the court for an order after notice. See Michigan Laws 700.1106
- Probate: Proving a will
- probate register: means the official of the court designated to perform the functions of register as provided in section 1304. See Michigan Laws 700.1107
- State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Michigan Laws 700.1107
- Trust: includes , but is not limited to, an express trust, private or charitable, with additions to the trust, wherever and however created. See Michigan Laws 700.1107
(b) A safe deposit box of the decedent who was an individual or joint lessee and for whom a fiduciary was appointed may be opened by that fiduciary in a like manner as provided by the Michigan estate tax act, 1899 PA 188, MCL 205.201 to 205.256, as it relates to deceased individuals.
(2) In the estate of a decedent who dies after September 30, 1993, the following apply to the opening of a safe deposit box:
(a) Whenever it appears to the court by petition of an interested person that a safe and collateral deposit company, trust company, corporation, bank, or other institution has leased to a decedent, either as an individual or joint lessee, a safe deposit box in the county in which the probate court has jurisdiction and that the safe deposit box may contain a will of the decedent or a deed to a burial plot in which the decedent is to be interred, the court may issue an order directing the institution to permit the person named in the order to examine the safe deposit box in the presence of an officer or other authorized employee of the institution. If a paper purporting to be a will of the decedent or a deed to a burial plot is found in the box, the person named in the order shall deliver the will or deed to the probate register or his or her deputy. The probate register or his or her deputy shall furnish a receipt to the person named in the order. An item contained in the safe deposit box other than the will or deed shall not be removed from the safe deposit box. At the time of the opening of the safe deposit box, all individuals in attendance shall execute a written statement certifying whether a will or deed to a burial plot is found and that no other items are removed, which statement shall be delivered within 7 days after execution to the probate register or his or her deputy. Before the court enters the order, there shall be paid to the probate register a fee of $10.00, which shall be credited to the general fund of the county. If the decedent’s estate is administered in a probate court in the state, the party making payment of the fee may file a claim in the estate for that amount, which shall be charged as a cost of administration.
(b) The safe deposit box of an individual who is an individual or joint lessee and for whom a fiduciary was appointed may be opened by that fiduciary and its contents removed. If the safe deposit box is jointly leased, then the fiduciary may examine the safe deposit box only in the presence of an officer or other authorized employee of the safe deposit and collateral company, trust company, corporation, bank, or other institution. At the time of the opening of the safe deposit box, all individuals in attendance shall execute a written statement certifying as to what is removed from the box by the fiduciary. The fiduciary shall serve a copy of that statement on the other joint lessees within 7 days after removing the items.
(c) Notwithstanding another provision of this section, a surviving joint lessee of a joint safe deposit box has full access to the safe deposit box.