§ 64.1-118. What clerk or court to appoint administrator of estate; who to be preferred
A. The court or the clerk who would have jurisdiction as to the probate of a will, if there were a will, shall have the jurisdiction to hear and determine the right of administration of the estate in the case of a person dying intestate. Administration shall be granted as follows:
1. During the first thirty days following the intestate's death, the clerk may grant administration (i) to a sole distributee or his designee or (ii) in the absence of a sole distributee, to any distributee or his designee who presents written waivers of right to qualify from all other competent distributees.
2. After thirty days have passed since the intestate's death, the clerk may grant administration to the first distributee, or his designee, who applies therefor, without either waiting for any further period of time, or requiring the consent or waiver of any other distributee; provided, however, that if, during the first thirty days following the intestate's death, more than one distributee notifies the clerk of an intent to qualify after the thirty-day period has elapsed, the clerk shall not appoint any distributee, or his designee, until the clerk has given all such distributees an opportunity to be heard.
3. After 45 days have passed since the intestate's death, the clerk may grant administration to any nonprofit charitable organization that operated as a conservator or guardian for the decedent at the time of his death; however, (i) if, during the first 45 days following the intestate's death, any distributee notifies the clerk of an intent to qualify after the 45-day period has elapsed, the clerk shall not appoint any such organization administrator until the clerk has given all such distributees an opportunity to be heard, and (ii) such organization certifies that it has made a diligent search to find an address for any sole distributee and has given not less than 30 days notice by certified mail of its intention to apply for administration to the last known address or addresses of the distributee discovered or, alternatively, that it has not been able to find any such address. Qualification of such organization is not subject to challenge on account of a failure to have made the certification herein required.
4. After sixty days have passed since the intestate's death, the clerk may grant administration to one or more of the creditors or to any other person, provided such creditor or other person certifies that he has made diligent search to find an address for any sole distributee and has given not less than thirty days notice by certified mail of his intention to apply for administration to the last known address or addresses of the distributee discovered or alternatively, that he has not been able to find any such address. Qualification of a creditor or person other than a distributee is not subject to challenge on account of a failure to have made the certification herein required.
5. The court may appoint administrators under the same conditions as herein provided for the clerk, and when the court determines that it is in the best interests of an intestate's estate, the court may depart therefrom at any time and appoint such person as the court, in the exercise of its discretion, deems most appropriate.
B. The court or clerk shall not grant administration to any person unless satisfied that he is suitable and competent to perform the duties of his office. A person under a disability as defined in § 8.01-2 is not eligible to qualify.
C. If any beneficiary of the estate objects, no husband, wife or parent who has been barred from all interest in the estate because of desertion or abandonment as provided under § 64.1-16.3 is suitable to serve as an administrator of the estate of the deceased spouse or child, as the case may be.
(Code 1950, § 64-114; 1968, c. 656; 1978, c. 483; 2000, c. 321; 2002, c. 197; 2006, c. 724.)
Sections: Previous 64.1-116 64.1-117 64.1-118 64.1-119 64.1-120 64.1-121 64.1-122 64.1-122.1 64.1-122.2 64.1-123 64.1-123.1 64.1-123.2 64.1-123.3 64.1-124 64.1-124.1 NextLast modified: April 16, 2009