2023 West Virginia Code
Chapter 44. Administration of Estates and Trusts
Article 3A. Optional Procedure for Proof and Allowance of Claims Against Estates of Decedents; County Option
§44-3A-1. Election to Make Article Applicable
(a) Any county commission which has not heretofore elected to proceed under provisions of this article may do so in accord with this section.
(b) Prior to the adoption of the optional procedure provided for under this article, the county commission shall fix a time for public hearing on the issue of adoption of the fiduciary supervisor system as described in this article and cause to be published as a Class II-0 legal advertisement, as provided in section two, article three, chapter fifty-nine of the code, setting forth the reasons for the hearing, its date, place and time. Whenever ten percent or more of the voters of the county participating in the next preceding general election shall so petition the county commission in writing, the commission shall within sixty days of the filing of such petition conduct the public hearing provided by this subsection. The provisions hereof relating to the publication of notice of such hearing shall apply to the hearing held pursuant to such petition. The notice in either case shall also recite that within fifteen days after the public hearing the commission, after consideration of the following factors, will make a final determination whether to proceed under this article:
(1) The relatively expeditious and efficient administration and settlement of estates;
(2) The relative cost and convenience to the public and to the estates;
(3) Whether the fees provided under this article would be insufficient to fund the salary and expenses of a fiduciary supervisor as described in this article;
(4) Whether the county commission and the public interest is served by the availability of the unsupervised administration of estates having sole beneficiaries based upon the local needs of the county;
(5) The availability of physical facilities necessary for the administration of this article.
(c) At the hearing the county commission shall receive both written and oral comment from any citizen upon the desirability of proceeding under the provisions of this article. It may limit the time for oral presentations and permit additional written presentations to be filed up to three days after the hearing.
(d) Within sixty days of the public hearing, the commission shall enter an order either adopting or rejecting the provisions of this article.
(e) The county commission shall make such orders for the closing of estates opened prior to the effective date of the order adopting the provisions of this article as it may deem expedient which are not inconsistent with the express provisions of this chapter.
