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Probate & Trust Law Section Conference Manual ... - Minnesota CLE

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TIP FOUR: IN A CASE OF A DELINQUENT PR, A PETITION<br />

FOR REMOVAL AND SUCCESSOR PRCAN QUALIFY FOR<br />

EXPENSES AND ATTORNEY’S FEES<br />

A. Minn. Stat. § 524.3-611 authorizes a Petition to remove a personal<br />

representative when that is in “the best interests of the estate.”<br />

B. Usually the Petition for Removal is combined with a Petition to<br />

appoint the Petitioner or another suitable person to become<br />

Personal Representative. Minn. Stat. § 524.3-613.<br />

C. Note that the successor personal representative may ratify her prior<br />

acts or those of another (such as expending reimbursable funds for<br />

the reasonable fees of an attorney). Minn. Stat. § 524.3-701.<br />

TIPFIVE: IF HOMESTEAD IS THE MAJOR ASSET,<br />

ASK HEIRS TO WAIVE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION<br />

(BUT VERY CAREFULLY)<br />

A. Minn. Stat. § 524.2-402 exempts the “family residence” for the<br />

surviving spouse and descendants and makes it generally exempt<br />

from claims which “were not valid charges on it at the time of<br />

decedent’s death.”<br />

B. Attorney’s fees generally do not attach to the homestead.<br />

Northwestern National Bank v. Kroll, 306 N.W.2d 104 (Minn.<br />

1981).<br />

C. Note that the homestead is a constitutionally protected right<br />

(Minn.Constitution Article I, § 12) and the courts generally look<br />

4

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