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Terms Used In Michigan Laws 700.3203

  • Court: means the probate court or, when applicable, the family division of circuit court. See Michigan Laws 700.1103
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Devisee: means a person designated in a will to receive a devise. See Michigan Laws 700.1103
  • Estate: includes the property of the decedent, trust, or other person whose affairs are subject to this act as the property is originally constituted and as it exists throughout administration. See Michigan Laws 700.1104
  • General personal representative: means a personal representative other than a special personal representative. See Michigan Laws 700.1104
  • Heir: means , except as controlled by section 2720, a person, including the surviving spouse or the state, that is entitled under the statutes of intestate succession to a decedent's property. See Michigan Laws 700.1104
  • Informal proceedings: means proceedings for probate of a will or appointment of a personal representative conducted by the probate register without notice to interested persons. See Michigan Laws 700.1105
  • Letters: includes , but is not limited to, letters testamentary, letters of guardianship, letters of administration, and letters of conservatorship. See Michigan Laws 700.1105
  • Person: means an individual or an organization. See Michigan Laws 700.1106
  • Personal representative: includes , but is not limited to, an executor, administrator, successor personal representative, and special personal representative, and any other person, other than a trustee of a trust subject to article VII, who performs substantially the same function under the law governing that person's status. See Michigan Laws 700.1106
  • Petition: means a written request to the court for an order after notice. See Michigan Laws 700.1106
  • Proceeding: includes an application and a petition, and may be an action at law or a suit in equity. See Michigan Laws 700.1106
  • State: means a state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or a territory or insular possession subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. See Michigan Laws 700.1107
  • United States: shall be construed to include the district and territories. See Michigan Laws 8.3o
  (1) For either formal or informal proceedings, subject to subsection (2), persons who are not disqualified have priority for appointment as a general personal representative in the following order:
  (a) The person with priority as determined by a probated will including a person nominated by a power conferred in a will.
  (b) The decedent‘s surviving spouse if the spouse is a devisee of the decedent.
  (c) Other devisees of the decedent.
  (d) The decedent’s surviving spouse.
  (e) Other heirs of the decedent.
  (f) After 42 days after the decedent’s death, the nominee of a creditor if the court finds the nominee suitable.
  (g) After 63 days after the decedent’s death, or if the court determines exigent circumstances exist, the state or county public administrator if any of the following apply:
  (i) No interested person applied or petitioned for appointment of a personal representative within 63 days or the number of days determined by the court under this subdivision after the decedent’s death.
  (ii) The decedent died apparently leaving no known heirs.
  (iii) There is no spouse, heir, or beneficiary under a will who is a United States resident and is entitled to a distributive share in the decedent’s estate.
  (2) An objection to the appointment of a personal representative may be made only in a formal proceeding. If an objection is made, the priorities prescribed by subsection (1) apply except in either of the following circumstances:
  (a) If the estate appears to be more than adequate to meet exemptions and costs of administration but inadequate to discharge anticipated unsecured claims, on petition of creditors, the court may appoint any qualified person.
  (b) If a devisee or heir who appears to have a substantial interest in the estate objects to the appointment of a person whose priority is not determined by will, the court may appoint a person who is acceptable to the devisees and heirs whose interests in the estate appear to be worth in total more than 1/2 of the probable distributable value or, if no person is acceptable to these devisees and heirs, any suitable person.
  (3) A person entitled to letters under subsection (1)(b) to (e) may nominate a qualified person to act as personal representative. A person may renounce his or her right to nominate or to an appointment by filing an appropriate writing with the court. If 2 or more persons share a priority, those of them who do not renounce shall concur in nominating another to act for them or in applying for appointment.