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Personal Property
Movable property, including furniture, antiques, automobiles, business equipment, cash and stocks. Compare with Real Property.
Transfer Tax
The combined Federal Estate and Gift tax. A single exemption credit applies whether the property was transferred during a person's lifetime (gift tax) or is held by a person at the time of his/her death (estate tax).
Devise
A gift made by a will or a trust. A devise is made to a beneficiary under the terms of the will or trust.
Trust
A long recognized legal concept (first used in ancient Greece during the times of Socrates and Plato) in which some or all property of a Trust Creator is held on behalf of a beneficiary (which may include the trust creator) in the name of the Trustee.
Estate
The total of all assets, all debts and other obligations of an individual. At the time of death the total amount of benefits (life insurance, annuity and retirement benefits) to be paid to beneficiaries are often also considered part of the estate for Federal Estate Tax purposes
Family Limited Partnership
A legal partnership agreement between members of a family for the management and control of property for the benefit of family members. Sometimes used to minimize transfer taxes.
Incapacity / Incompetent
Legally unable to manage one's own affairs due to mental disability. This may be temporary or permanent.
Gross Estate
The value of an estate before the debts are paid. In California Probate statutory attorneys and personal representatives fees are usually calculated based on the gross value of the estate, so that the value of the home is calculated before deducting the amount due on the mortgage.
Tenancy-in-Common
A form of ownership of property in which two or more persons share ownership (may be equal or unequal shares). At the death of a tenant-in-common, his/her share in the property transfers to his/her heirs, rather than to the other surviving owner(s). Compare with Joint Tenancy.
Probate
The process through which the legal title to property is transferred from a decedent to the beneficiaries. If a person dies with a will (testate), the probate court determines if the will is valid, hears any objections to the will, orders that creditors be paid and supervises the process to assure that property is distributed by the Personal Representative or Executor according to the terms of the will. If a person dies without a will (intestate) the probate court appoints an Administrator who receives all claims, pays creditors, and then distributes all property according to the laws of the state.
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