Property, Vehicles, and Utilities
What about their personal property — furniture, jewelry, collections?
Short answer
Personal property is an estate asset. The executor is responsible for inventorying and protecting it. For probate estates, assets should not be distributed until the court authorizes it. For trust estates, the trustee distributes per the trust terms. Selling or giving away…
What this usually means
Personal property is an estate asset. The executor is responsible for inventorying and protecting it. For probate estates, assets should not be distributed until the court authorizes it. For trust estates, the trustee distributes per the trust terms. Selling or giving away assets prematurely can create legal liability for the executor or trustee.
What to do next
- Start the PathAfter checklist for situation-aware first steps.
- Find California county phone numbers for coroner, vital records, and local offices.
- Open the First 72 Hours Call Log before making calls.
- Open the Documents to Find Checklist when you are ready for paperwork.