2020 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 62 - South Carolina Probate Code
Article 3 - Probate Of Wills And Administration
Section 62-3-807. Payment of claims.

(a) Prior to the closing of the estate and no later than fourteen months after the decedent's death, the personal representative must proceed to pay the claims allowed against the estate in the order of priority prescribed, and after making provision for the homestead, for exempt property under Section 62-2-401, for claims already presented which have not been allowed or whose disallowance is the subject of a legal proceeding, or the time to file such a proceeding has not expired, and for unbarred claims which may yet be presented, including costs and expenses of administration. Upon application of the personal representative and for good cause shown, the probate court may extend the time for payment of creditor claims.

(b) Upon the expiration of the applicable time limitation provided in Section 62-3-803 for the presentation of claims, any claimant whose claim has been allowed, or partially allowed, under Section 62-3-806 may petition the probate court, or file an appropriate motion if the administration is under Part 5, for an order directing the personal representative to pay the claim, to the extent allowed, and to the extent assets of the estate are available for payment without impairing the ability of the personal representative to fulfill the other obligations of the decedent's estate.

(c) The personal representative at any time may pay any just claim which has not been barred, with or without formal presentation, but he is personally liable to any other claimant whose claim is allowed and who is injured by such payment if:

(1) the payment was made before the expiration of the time limit set forth in Section 62-3-803 for the presentation of a claim, and the personal representative failed to require the payee to give adequate security for the refund of any of the payment necessary to pay other claimants; or

(2) the payment was made, due to the negligence or wilful fault of the personal representative, in such manner as to deprive the injured claimant of his priority.

HISTORY: 1986 Act No. 539, Section 1; 1987 Act No. 171, Section 38; 1990 Act No. 521, Section 54; 2013 Act No. 100, Section 1, eff January 1, 2014.

Effect of Amendment

The 2013 amendment rewrote the section.