Petition for distribution of small estate; order

§ 20–2101. Petition for distribution of small estate; order (a) When a person dies, leaving a small estate consisting only of personal property of a value not in excess of $500, the surviving spouse or minor children entitled to the family allowance authorized by section 19–101 may file in the Probate Court a petition, under oath, declaring: (1) the time and place of decedent’s death; (2) the known next of kin; (3) the known assets and by whom they are held; (4) that the petitioner has made a diligent search to discover all assets of the deceased; (5) the amount of the funeral expenses and to whom they are due; and (6) that the assets do not exceed $500 in value. 79 Stat. 731 The minor children shall act through the person having their custody or a next friend. (b) When the Probate Court is satisfied that, the allegations in a petition filed under subsection (a) of this section are true, it shall enter a final order: (1) declaring that formal administration is not necessary and that probate of a will is not required; (2) fixing the amount of funeral expenses allowable and specifying to whom they are due and out of what property they are to be paid; (3) vesting title to the remainder of the property in the surviving spouse or minor children, as the case may be, in satisfaction of the family allowance; and (4) directing the persons having possession of the property to pay over, transfer, and deliver it as allotted. The Probate Court may also authorize in the order, or by further order, the sale of any of the property as the exigencies of the situation require.