(a) The personal representative, within sixty (60) days after entering on the administration of a testate or intestate estate, shall make a complete and accurate inventory of the probate estate of the deceased, and return the inventory to the clerk of the court exercising probate jurisdiction in the county of the estate, and verify it by the personal representative‘s oath before the clerk or before any person authorized by law to administer oaths in such cases whether within or without the borders of the state. When the will of the deceased excuses the requirement for making and filing an inventory of the estate, or when excused by all of the residuary distributees or legatees, no inventory shall be required of a solvent estate, unless demanded by any residuary distributee or legatee of the estate.
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Terms Used In Tennessee Code 30-2-301

  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Contract: A legal written agreement that becomes binding when signed.
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Intestate: Dying without leaving a will.
  • 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.
  • Legatee: A beneficiary of a decedent
  • Obligation: An order placed, contract awarded, service received, or similar transaction during a given period that will require payments during the same or a future period.
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Personal representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Probate: Proving a will
  • Representative: when applied to those who represent a decedent, includes executors and administrators, unless the context implies heirs and distributees. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Testate: To die leaving a will.
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
(b)

(1) Except as provided in subdivision (b)(4), the personal representative, within sixty (60) days after entering on the administration, shall notify:

(A) Each legatee or devisee under the will that that person or entity is a beneficiary by sending a complete copy of the will to those beneficiaries sharing in the residue of the estate, and by sending a copy of the paragraph or paragraphs of the will containing the bequests to those beneficiaries only receiving bequests; and
(B) Each residuary distributee of an intestate deceased person by sending that person a copy of the letters of administration.
(2) If the residue or a portion thereof is distributable to a trustee for the benefit of others, a complete copy of the will shall be sent to the trustee who shall have the obligation under title 35 to send copies of the will to the trust beneficiaries.
(3) Within the sixty-day period, the personal representative shall also execute and file with the clerk of the court an affidavit that the required copies have been mailed or delivered to the beneficiaries or distributees, and an explanation of efforts to identify and locate beneficiaries or distributees, if any, to whom copies have not yet been sent.
(4) The personal representative shall not be required to comply with the requirements of subdivisions (b)(1) and (b)(3) if:

(A) The personal representative and the sole beneficiary of the estate are the same person; or
(B) The decedent‘s will was admitted to probate in solemn form.
(5) Within the sixty-day period, the personal representative shall execute and file with the clerk of the court an affidavit that the bureau of TennCare has been notified of the decedent’s death pursuant to § 71-5-116.
(6)

(A) Following expiration of the sixty-day period, specified in subsection (a), a person or entity may file a notice with the clerk’s office that provides the name, current mailing address and actual physical address of any legatee or distributee who has not been identified or has not been located by the personal representative. The notice may not be filed prior to the expiration of the sixty-day period.
(B)

(i)

(a) The person or entity filing notice pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A) shall be entitled to a reasonable fee for each legatee or distributee for whom the person or entity filing the notice provides satisfactory proof, as defined in subdivision (b)(6)(C), of the legatee or distributee’s relationship to the decedent.
(b) Other than a reasonable fee, such person or entity shall not be entitled to any other compensation from any person or entity, including any legatee or distributee, for providing the information to the legatee or the distributee or to the clerk.
(c) Such fee shall be determined by the contract between the legatee or distributee and the person or entity filing the notice; provided, however, such fee shall not exceed one-third (1/3) of the legatee or distributee’s interest.
(d) Any contract entered into between a person or entity filing notice pursuant to subdivision (b)(6)(A) and a legatee or distributee prior to the expiration of the sixty-day period specified in subsection (a), shall be null and void and unenforceable in a court of law.
(ii) If more than one person or entity submits accurate identifying information to the clerk, then the person or entity that has a contract with the legatee or distributee shall be entitled to the fee provided by this subdivision (b)(6).
(C) For the purposes of this subdivision (b)(6), any one of the following constitutes satisfactory proof of the relationship between the legatee or distributee and the decedent:

(i) An affidavit of pedigree pursuant to § 30-2-711;
(ii) An affidavit of heirship pursuant to § 30-2-712;
(iii) Vital records establishing the relationship; or
(iv) Other proof satisfactory to the court.
(7) Copies of a will, paragraphs of a will, or letters of administration sent pursuant to this subsection (b) may be sent by first class mail, electronic mail, or personal delivery.
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