Iowa: Challenging a Final Accounting in a Parent’s Estate When You Were Not Notified
What to do if you did not receive notice of a final accounting in a parent’s probate case Short answer: Act quickly. In Iowa you may object to a personal representative’s final accounting or ask the court to reopen the estate or set aside the settlement if you were an interested person and did not […]
Read article →Iowa: How to Challenge an Approved Estate Accounting More Than a Year Later
Detailed Answer — What to do when you find problems with an estate accounting more than a year after the court approved it (Iowa) This article explains, in plain language, common options and steps under Iowa law when a beneficiary or creditor discovers an error, omission, fraud, or other problem in an estate accounting that […]
Read article →Iowa: Where to Open Probate When a Person Dies Outside Their Home State
Which court handles an estate under Iowa law? Short answer: Under Iowa law, the primary probate case is opened in the decedent’s domicile (the state and county where they were legally living when they died). If the decedent owned real estate or other situs-specific property in Iowa while their primary estate administration occurs in another […]
Read article →Iowa: Steps to Clear Creditor Claims Before Selling a Parent’s Estate Home
Clearing creditor claims before selling an estate home in Iowa Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. This is general information, not legal advice. Use this to prepare for discussions with a licensed Iowa attorney or the probate court. Detailed Answer Selling real estate that belonged to a deceased parent almost always requires dealing with the […]
Read article →Reimbursement for Mortgage Payments to Preserve an Estate in Iowa
Detailed Answer Short answer: Yes — sometimes. Under Iowa law, mortgage payments you make to preserve estate property can be reimbursable, but whether you will be paid back depends on who you are (personal representative vs. heir vs. third party), whether the payments were necessary to preserve estate assets, whether you got court approval or […]
Read article →Who Receives Leftover Sale Proceeds When a Person Dies Intestate in Iowa?
What Happens to Leftover Sale Proceeds When Someone Dies Intestate — Iowa Quick overview If a person dies without a will in Iowa, any money they owned at death — including leftover proceeds from a recent sale of property — generally becomes part of their probate estate. The court appoints an estate administrator, the administrator […]
Read article →How to Retitle a Deceased Parent's Car in Iowa
Steps to Transfer Ownership of a Deceased Parent’s Vehicle in Iowa This FAQ-style guide explains the typical steps someone in Iowa will follow to retitle a vehicle that belonged to a parent who died. It uses common factual examples to show what documents and processes are usually needed. This is educational information only and not […]
Read article →Iowa: Steps to Take When an Estate Administrator Withholds Asset Information
Detailed Answer If someone appointed to handle a decedent’s estate in Iowa is not sharing asset information or estate paperwork, you have several clear rights and practical steps you can take. Iowa’s probate law (see Iowa Code chapter 633) sets duties for a personal representative (sometimes called an executor or administrator) that include identifying estate […]
Read article →Iowa: How to Object to a Sibling’s Application for Letters of Administration
Detailed answer — how to challenge an application for letters of administration in Iowa If someone (for example, a sibling) has filed for letters of administration in an Iowa district court and you believe that appointment would be improper, you can oppose that appointment through the Iowa probate process. Below are plain-language, practical steps to […]
Read article →Iowa — How to Compel a Spouse to Sell a House and Distribute Proceeds Under the Will
Detailed Answer — What to do when a surviving spouse refuses to sell probate property in Iowa This section explains the common legal steps available under Iowa law when a deceased person’s will directs that real property be sold and the proceeds distributed, but a surviving spouse (or other person living in or controlling the […]
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