When a person dies (the “Decedent”) with less than $50,000 of personal property, the Decedent’s estate is considered a small estate and the Surrogate’s Court proceeding that is used is called a Voluntary Administration. This proceeding is used whether or not the Decedent executed a Last Will and Testament during his or her lifetime. Personal property includes bank and retirement accounts, cars, stocks, bonds and anything of value that has the Decedent’s name alone, with no joint owner and no beneficiary designation. It does not include real property like houses, land, and buildings.

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