SECTIONS 19000-19012 - California Statutes

PROBATE CODE

SECTION 19000-19012

19000. As used in this part:
(a) "Claim" means a demand for payment for any of the following,
whether due, not due, accrued or not accrued, or contingent, and
whether liquidated or unliquidated:
(1) Liability of the deceased settlor, whether arising in
contract, tort, or otherwise.
(2) Liability for taxes incurred before the deceased settlor's
death, whether assessed before or after the deceased settlor's death,
other than property taxes and assessments secured by real property
liens.
(3) Liability for the funeral expenses of the deceased settlor.
(b) "Claim" does not include a dispute regarding title to specific
property alleged to be included in the trust estate.
(c) "Creditor" means a person who may have a claim against the
trust property.
(d) "Trust" means a trust described in Section 18200, or, if a
portion of a trust, that portion that remained subject to the power
of revocation at the deceased settlor's death.
(e) "Deceased settlor" means a deceased person who, at the time of
his or her death, held the power to revoke the trust in whole or in
part.
(f) "Debts" means all claims, as defined in subdivision (a), all
expenses of administration, and all other proper charges against the
trust estate, including taxes.

19001. (a) Upon the death of a settlor, the property of the
deceased settlor that was subject to the power of revocation at the
time of the settlor's death is subject to the claims of creditors of
the deceased settlor's estate and to the expenses of administration
of the estate to the extent that the deceased settlor's estate is
inadequate to satisfy those claims and expenses.
(b) The deceased settlor, by appropriate direction in the trust
instrument, may direct the priority of sources of payment of debts
among subtrusts or other gifts established by the trust at the
deceased settlor's death. Notwithstanding this subdivision, no
direction by the settlor shall alter the priority of payment, from
whatever source, of the matters set forth in Section 11420 which
shall be applied to the trust as it applies to a probate estate.

19002. (a) Except as expressly provided, this part shall not be
construed to affect the right of any creditor to recover from any
revocable trust established by the deceased settlor.
(b) Nothing in this part shall be construed as a construction or
alteration of any claims procedure set forth under Part 4 (commencing
with Section 9000) of Division 7.

19003. (a) At any time following the death of the settlor, and
during the time that there has been no filing of a petition to
administer the estate of the deceased settlor in this state of which
the trustee has actual knowledge, the trustee may file with the court
a proposed notice to creditors. Upon the court's assignment of a
proceeding number to the proposed notice, the trustee shall publish
and serve notice to creditors of the deceased settlor in the form and
within the time prescribed in Chapters 3 (commencing with Section
19040) and 4 (commencing with Section 19050). That action shall
constitute notice to creditors of the requirements of this part.
(b) The filing shall be made with the superior court for the
county in this state where the deceased settlor resided at the time
of death, or if none, in any county in this state in which trust
property was located at the time of the settlor's death, or if none,
in the county in this state that was the principal place of
administration of the trust at the time of the settlor's death.
(c) Nothing in subdivision (a) affects a notice or request to a
public entity required by Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 19200).

19004. If the trustee files, publishes, and serves notice as set
forth in Section 19003, then:
(a) All claims against the trust shall be filed in the manner and
within the time provided in this part.
(b) A claim that is not filed as provided in this part is barred
from collection from trust assets.
(c) The holder of a claim may not maintain an action on the claim
against the trust unless the claim is first filed as provided in this
part.

19005. The trustee may at any time pay, reject, or contest any
claim against the deceased settlor or settle any claim by compromise,
arbitration, or otherwise. The trustee may also file a petition in
the manner set forth in Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 19020) to
settle any claim.

19006. (a) If a trustee of a trust established by the deceased
settlor files, publishes, and serves notice as provided in Section
19003 the protection from creditors afforded that trustee and trust
shall also be afforded to any other trusts established by the
deceased settlor and the trustees and beneficiaries of those trusts.
(b) If the personal representative of the deceased settlor's
estate has published notice under Section 8120 and given notice of
administration of the estate of the deceased settlor under Chapter 2
(commencing with Section 9050) of Part 4 of Division 7, the
protection from creditors afforded the personal representative of the
deceased settlor's estate shall be afforded to the trustee and to
the beneficiaries of the trust.
(c) In the event that, following the filing and publication of the
notice set forth in Section 19003, there shall be commenced any
proceeding under which a notice pursuant to Section 8120 is required
to be published, then the trustee shall have a right of collection
against that estate to recover the amount of any debts paid from
trust assets that would otherwise have been satisfied (whether by law
or by direction in the deceased settlor's will or trust) by the
property subject to probate proceedings.

19007. Nothing in this part shall determine the liability of any
trust established by the deceased settlor as against any other trust
established by that settlor, except to the extent that the trustee of
the other trust shall file, publish, and serve the notice specified
in Section 19003 and thereafter seek a determination of relative
liability pursuant to Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 19020).

19008. If there is no proceeding to administer the estate of the
deceased settlor, and if the trustee does not file a proposed notice
to creditors pursuant to Section 19003 and does not publish notice to
creditors pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 19040),
then the liability of the trust to any creditor of the deceased
settlor shall be as otherwise provided by law.

19009. Nothing in this part shall be construed to permit or require
disclosure of the existence of the trust or the contents of any of
its provisions to any creditor or beneficiary except as that creditor
or beneficiary may otherwise be entitled to that information.

19010. Nothing in this part imposes any duty on the trustee to
initiate the notice proceeding set forth in Section 19003, and the
trustee is not liable for failure to initiate the proceeding under
this part.

19011. (a) The Judicial Council may prescribe the form and contents
of the petition, notice, claim form, and allowance or rejection form
to be used pursuant to this part. The allowance or rejection form
may be part of the claim form.
(b) Any claim form adopted by the Judicial Council shall inform
the creditor that the claim must be filed with the court and a copy
mailed or delivered to the trustee. The claim form shall include a
proof of mailing or delivery of a copy of the claim to the trustee,
which may be completed by the claimant.

19012. (a) This part applies to claims against any deceased settlor
who dies on or after January 1, 1992.
(b) The applicable law in effect before January 1, 1992, continues
to apply to claims against any deceased settlor who dies before
January 1, 1992.