2012 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 45a - Probate Courts and Procedure
Chapter 802b - Decedents’ Estates
Section 45a-303 - (Formerly Sec. 45-195). Jurisdiction of intestate estates. Probate costs. Issuance of letters of administration.

(a) Jurisdiction of intestate estates. Probate costs. (1) When any person domiciled in this state dies intestate, the court of probate in the district in which the deceased was domiciled at his death shall have jurisdiction to grant letters of administration.

(2) When any person not domiciled in this state dies intestate, administration may be granted by the Court of Probate determined under the jurisdictional prerequisites provided in subsection (a) of section 45a-287 for nondomiciliary testators, and the provisions of subsection (e) of section 45a-287 regarding Probate Court costs applicable to testate estates shall apply also to intestate estates granted administration under this section.

(b) Application, notice and hearing re letters of administration. Upon application for letters of administration to the court of probate having jurisdiction of the estate of an intestate decedent, the court shall, before granting letters of administration, after notice required by this section, hold a hearing. Notice of such hearing, either public notice, personal notice or both as the court deems best, shall be given to all persons interested in such estate, including the Commissioner of Revenue Services in the case of a nondomiciliary decedent, unless all persons so interested sign and file in court a written waiver of such notice, or unless the court, for cause shown, dispenses with such notice. The finding by the court that such estate is not more than sufficient to pay the expenses of administration, the funeral and last sickness shall be sufficient cause to dispense with such notice.

(c) To whom letters of administration granted. (1) Upon hearing as required by this section, the court of probate having jurisdiction shall grant administration of the intestate decedent’s estate to any one or more persons or their designees appointed in the following order, provided such person or persons are entitled to share in the estate of the decedent: (A) The surviving spouse, (B) any child of the decedent or any guardian of such child as the court shall determine, (C) any grandchild of the decedent or any guardian of such grandchild as the court shall determine, (D) the decedent’s parents, (E) any brother or sister of the decedent, (F) the next of kin entitled to share in the estate, or, on their refusal, incapacity or failure to give bond or upon the objection of any heir or creditor to such appointment found reasonable by the court, to any other person whom the court deems proper.

(2) If the intestate decedent lived out of the state leaving property within the state, the court of probate having jurisdiction shall, upon notice and hearing as required by this section, grant administration to such person as the court deems proper.

(d) Bond required of administrator. The court, upon granting any administration, shall take a probate bond from the administrator or any successor administrator appointed by the Court of Probate.

(1949 Rev., S. 6980; P.A. 80-410, S. 6; 80-476, S. 254; P.A. 81-472, S. 138, 159; P.A. 82-2, S. 2; P.A. 84-294, S. 10; P.A. 86-144, S. 2; P.A. 11-128, S. 17.)

History: P.A. 80-410 reorganized provisions, dividing them into Subsecs., restating provisions and clearly distinguishing between persons domiciled in state at time of death and persons domiciled out of state; P.A. 80-476 made similar changes but where differing, P.A. 80-410 took precedence; P.A. 81-472 made technical changes; P.A. 82-2 amended Subsec. (c)(1) to provide the priority for granting administration of the intestate decedent’s estate where previously administration was granted to “the decedent’s spouse or next-of-kin or both”; P.A. 84-294 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “last dwelt” to “was domiciled at his death”; P.A. 86-144 amended Subsec. (a)(2) by adding provision re costs of probate applicable to intestate estates of nondomiciliary decedent; Sec. 45-195 transferred to Sec. 45a-303 in 1991; P.A. 11-128 amended Subsec. (a)(2) to substitute “subsection (e)” for “subsection (d)” re reference to Sec. 45a-287, effective July 8, 2011.

See Sec. 12-358 re reports to Revenue Services Commissioner by clerks of probate courts and re certified copies of wills and papers.

See Sec. 12-365 re administration on taxable transfer.

See Sec. 52-60 re appointment of judge of probate as attorney for nonresident fiduciary.

Administration granted to daughter in preference to grandson. 1 R. 52. Administration granted in another state inoperative here. 3 D. 88. “Next of kin” to be ascertained by rule of civil law. 3 D. 211. Title to personal property of intestate vests in administrator. 4 C. 349; 18 C. 121. Administrators must sell for cash. 21 C. 292. Cited. 49 C. 420. Grant of administration must yield to fact that supposed decedent is alive, or left a will, or was domiciled in some other district. 50 C. 340. Court cannot appoint administrator after approving executor. 67 C. 181. Cited. Id., 442. Appointment of administrator where intestate property has been distributed under a will. 70 C. 363. Foreign corporation held incapable of acting as administrator. 74 C. 625. In case of nonresident, there must be at least an apparent ownership of property or claim of liability. 76 C. 125; 83 C. 235; 108 C. 447. Administration should not be granted where it would not avail. 76 C. 378; see 70 C. 363. Duty of court to find domicile of deceased. 86 C. 351. Discretion of court to appoint one not an heir. 93 C. 43. When national bank may be appointed. 94 C. 651. In suit by nonresident administrator under New York death statute proceeds went to next of kin instead of to estate. 108 C. 447. Location of estate is not material upon issue of jurisdiction of court to grant administration of estate of person who died domiciled in district. 115 C. 301. Decree not invalid for lack of consent. 139 C. 720. Office of executor or administrator does not terminate during his lifetime unless he is removed. 151 C. 598. Plaintiff must move to have administrator appointed and substituted to continue action. 160 C. 404. Cited. 170 C. 212.

Cited. 16 CS 430. The office of the original administrator does not terminate during his lifetime unless he is removed. 21 CS 312.

Subsec. (b):

Notice should go to all persons entitled to share in a decedent’s property under the laws of intestacy; child born out of wedlock did not have right to notice since she was not entitled to share in father’s estate because father did not make a valid acknowledgment of paternity. 40 CS 151.

Subsec. (c):

Cited. 40 CS 151.

Annotation to present section:

Subsec. (c):

Cited. 34 CA 579.