The legal procedure that follows a decedent’s death is referred to as probate. It establishes the distribution of the decedent’s estate. However, the probate inventory assets and other items have required access well. 

The executor handling the administration of the decedent’s estate must then have submitted the petition to initiate probate and would have likely sent a notification to everyone familiar with the probate process. 

Making a comprehensive inventory and appraisal of all the assets that could be subject to probate would be the following stage. First, one creates an inventory asset to present before the court.

Typically, one conducts this inventory between a month and 90 days after the death. It includes a list of the assets the decedent held, together with their valuations at the time of death.

Listing a deceased person’s assets should be thorough and complete. It will be used as a reference for tax preparation, debt repayment, and distributing the estate’s assets among beneficiaries. 

Probate Inventory of Assets Checklist

This section of the article gives you a thorough list of the assets and other details that should be included in a probate inventory. The state’s probate regulations must be followed. The executors must be aware of the nuances because these regulations differ from state to state.

Real estate

The decedents’ real estate holdings should be valued, and their deeds should be found. Additionally, all water and mineral rights should be covered. It should also list any mortgages held against the property, the bank that has them, and the sums payable to each.

It is essential to gather documentation that details the property’s legal status and documents describing its nature and location. Then, the net value of all the decedent’s real estate holdings should compute using these.

Subject Finances

The deceased’s financial assets should also be listed in this inventory. This includes stock accounts, safe deposit boxes, and bank accounts. The executor may need to present the death certificate for the financial institutions holding these assets to furnish you with the information about them since they may require proof of death before they do so. 

It would be best to look for additional financial deliverables, such as annuities, promissory notes, certificates, and saving bonds. Usually, this list also includes the decedent’s retirement plans. However, keep in mind to adhere to the state-specific inventory regulations.

Decedent’s Vehicle

It is also advisable to obtain documents that have legal ramifications for any automobiles owned by the dead. It’s essential to consider these vehicles’ values as well. One should mention if there are any car debts.

Interest and Other Forms of Asset

Include a thorough list of any personal property the deceased may have accumulated throughout their life. They may be furniture, coins, toys, jewelry, clothing, antiques, or other items. To keep records, these ought to snap and be recorded on video.

The executor should be able to provide fair market value for each item specified and should be able to document the prices of these personal effects at the time of death. If they discover they cannot, they should, if necessary, obtain a professional appraisal. The inventory should include information about assets like timeshare ownership, club memberships, intellectual property, and royalties.

Some more sets that would have to include in an estate inventory include the following:

1. Bank accounts include checking, savings, money market, and certificate of deposits.
2. Individual retirement accounts (IRAs), brokerage accounts, margin accounts, health savings accounts (HSAs), and college savings accounts are examples of personal investment accounts.
3. Business stakes include corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies (LLCs), and sole proprietorships.
4. Real estate, comprising homes for personal use and rental properties 401(k), 403(b), and 457 programs, are examples of workplace retirement accounts and pension plans.
5. Insurance plans, such as life and disability insurance.
6. Long-term care insurance, annuities, and insurance.
7. Household products.
8. Personal effects, such as heirlooms, antiques, and collectibles.

List of liabilities under probate estate inventory

The following has a list of the penalties that are included in an estate inventory:

1. The probate consists of loans for real estate’s first and second mortgages.
2. Unpaid personal loans
3. Private student loans.
4. Loans related to vehicles are included as assets in the inventory.
5. Open lines of credit and five credit cards.
6. Loans to businesses.
7. Unpaid medical bills.
8. Missing taxes.
9. Any other overdue bills, including court judgments, where there is no payment.

The executor must record who owes money. One to secure a loan or line of credit while inventorying debts. 

No asset or debt is typical to mod in the estate inventory. And if the executor provides a list of assets and obligations to the probate court and later learns of additional help or debts, they must submit an updated list.

What Assets Excluded from An Inventory of Assets-

These are possessions that the beneficiaries receive as well. For instance, one should not list the insurance list because it includes self-contained beneficiaries and retirement accounts.

One must not list the joint asset in the asset inventory because, in most cases, one transfers the common asset to the surviving owner; therefore, listing them would be unnecessary. 

Non-probate assets also include those that the deceased held in trust.

Conclusion

Establishing the date-of-death values for all of the decedent’s assets has the next stage in probating the estate after the probate estate has opened with the probate court. This stage has crucial because most states demand it within 30 to 90 days after the probate estate has opened with the court. Finally, the probate court has filed an inventory of the decedent’s probate assets with their date-of-death valuations.