This docum ent does not reflect the intent or official position of the bill sponsor or House of Representatives.
STORAGE NAME: h0625a.CIV
DATE: 1/13/2022
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES STAFF ANALYSIS
BILL #: HB 625 Estates and Trusts
SPONSOR(S): Altman
TIED BILLS: IDEN./SIM. BILLS: SB 1502
REFERENCE ACTION ANALYST STAFF DIRECTOR or
BUDGET/POLICY CHIEF
1) Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee 15 Y, 0 N Mathews Jones
2) Insurance & Banking Subcommittee
3) Judiciary Committee
SUMMARY ANALYSIS
Probate is a court-supervised process for identifying and gathering the assets of a deceased person
(decedent), paying the decedent’s debts, and distributing the decedent’s assets to his or her beneficiaries.
Through the probate process, the personal representative is responsible for giving actual notice of the probate
proceedings to “known or reasonably ascertainable creditors.” Any creditor who believes he or she is entitled to
a compensation from the decedent’s estate to satisfy a debt must file a claim with the clerk of court. The
personal representative or any other interested person may file an objection to a creditor’s statement of claim.
If an objection is filed against a creditor’s statement of claim, the creditor must file a separate independent
lawsuit against the decedent’s estate to pursue the claim within thirty days from the date the objection was
served.
A trust is a document created to manage a person’s assets and distribute his or her remaining assets after
death. The person who creates the trust is the “grantor” or “settlor.” The person responsible for the
management of the assets within the trust is the “trustee.” The trustee includes the original trustee, any
additional trustee, any successor trustee, and any cotrustee.
A trustee has a right to resign after providing 30 days’ notice to the beneficiaries and other interested parties.
In Florida, a trustee’s right to resign is a mandatory provision and may not be denied or curtailed by any
provision in the trust instrument. However, under current law, if the resigning trustee is the only remaining
trustee, he or she continues to owe a fiduciary duty, regardless of his or her notice and resignation, until
another trustee is put in place.
HB 625 amends s. 733.705, F.S., codifying the existing procedure by which a creditor’s pending action against
a decedent at the time of death is deemed to be an “independent action” under s. 733.705(5) and satisfies the
creditor’s requirement to bring such an independent action within 30 days of an objection to a statement of
claim.
The bill also amends s. 736.0705(1), F.S., clarifying that a trust instrument can make it easier for a trustee to
resign under s. 736.0705(1)(a), F.S, by allowing a shorter notice period to beneficiaries.
The bill does not appear to have a fiscal impact on state or local governments.
The bill has an effective date of July 1, 2022.
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DATE: 1/13/2022
FULL ANALYSIS
I. SUBSTANTIVE ANALYSIS
A. EFFECT OF PROPOSED CHANGES:
Background
Probate
Probate is a court-supervised process for identifying and gathering the assets of a deceased person
(decedent), paying the decedent’s debts, and distributing the decedent’s assets to his or her
beneficiaries. A will is a legal document that a person (a testator) may use to determine who gets his or
her property upon death. A will does not dispose of all of a testator’s property, but only his or her
estate, or those assets that are subject to probate administration.
1
Other assets are disposed of outside
probate.
Without a will, a decedent’s estate is distributed pursuant to the intestacy statutes, which devise
2
a
decedent’s estate according to default rules. With a will, however, a testator may devise the estate to
whomever he or she prefers.
In order for the decedent’s estate to be transferred to heirs or to the beneficiaries of the will, a petition
for administration must be filed with the circuit court.
3
A personal representative, who is designated by
the will or the circuit court to serve in that role, must provide a notice of administration to various
parties, including family members, beneficiaries, and other entities.
4
The personal representative must
search for and provide notice to the decedent’s creditors.
5
In order for a personal representative to
claim monies from bank accounts for the estate, the court must issue letters of administration granting
the personal representative the authority to act on the estate’s behalf. The letters give the personal
representative the authority to gather assets, pay a creditor, and pay an heir or beneficiary.
Administration of the decedent’s estate ensures that the decedent’s creditors are paid as long as
certain procedures are followed.
6
Probate and the Decedent’s Creditors
Through the probate process, the personal representative is responsible for giving actual notice of the
probate proceedings to “known or reasonably ascertainable creditors.”
7
The notice process ensures
creditors have the opportunity to file claims against the decedent’s estate to recover debts owed by the
decedent to the creditor.
8
Any creditor who believes he or she is entitled to a compensation from the
decedent’s estate to satisfy a debt must file a claim with the clerk of court. The personal representative
or any other interested person may file an objection to a creditor’s statement of claim. If an objection is
filed against a creditor’s statement of claim, the creditor must file a separate independent lawsuit
against the decedent’s estate to pursue the claim within thirty days from the date the objection was
served.
Currently, there is no clear procedure for what happens when a creditor has a pending action at the
time of the decedent’s death. Neither the Florida Statutes nor the Florida Probate Rules address this
scenario. As such, there is disagreement as to whether the creditor’s pending lawsuit or action is
sufficient to be deemed an independent legal action such that it satisfies the creditor’s requirement to
1
S. 732.201(14), F.S.
2
To devise means to dispose of real or personal property by will or trust. S. 731.201(10), F.S.
3
S. 733.202, F.S.
4
S. 733.212, F.S.
5
S. 733.2121, F.S.
6
The Florida Bar, Consumer Pamphlet: Probate in Florida, https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet026/ (last visited Jan.
13, 2022).
7
Id.
8
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DATE: 1/13/2022
bring an independent action within 30 days of an objection to a statement of claim.
9
Florida courts
appear to have established that a pending action against a decedent at the time of death is deemed an
“independent action” under s. 733.705(5), F.S. when a motion for substitution (or voluntary substitution)
of the personal representative or other fiduciary of the estate is filed in the pending lawsuit.
10
Resignation of a Trustee
A trust is a document created to manage a person’s assets and distribute his or her remaining assets
after death.
11
The person who creates the trust is the “grantor” or “settlor.”
12
The person responsible for
the management of the assets within the trust is the “trustee.”
13
The trustee includes the original
trustee, any additional trustee, any successor trustee, and any cotrustee.
14
Currently, a trustee in Florida has a right to resign after providing 30 days’ notice to the beneficiaries
and other interested parties.
15
In Florida, a trustee’s right to resign is a mandatory provision and may
not be denied or curtailed by any provision in the trust instrument.
16
However, under current law, if the
resigning trustee is the only remaining trustee, he or she continues to owe a fiduciary duty, regardless
of his or her notice and resignation, until another trustee is put in place.
Effect of the Bill
Probate and Creditors
HB 625 amends s. 733.705(5) to codify the existing procedure by which a creditor’s pending action
against a decedent at the time of death is deemed to be an “independent action” under s. 733.705(5)
and satisfies the creditor’s requirement to bring such an independent action within 30 days of an
objection to a statement of claim.
17
Therefore, if a creditor has an existing or pending claim or action
against the decedent at the time of his or her death, the bill treats the substitution of the decedent’s
estate (via the personal representative or other fiduciary) to an existing action as satisfying the
requirement to file an independent action.
Resignation of a Trustee
HB 625 amends s. 736.0705(1), F.S., to clarify that a trust instrument may be drafted in a way to make
it easier for a trustee to resign under s. 736.0705(1)(a), F.S, by allowing a shorter notice period to
beneficiaries. The bill effectively permits a trust instrument to make the process of resignation easier for
an outgoing trustee. However, the bill provides that, if the trust instrument is silent or if the trust
attempts to impose a notice period of more than 30 days, the 30-day notice period is still required. A
trust instrument may not may the resignation process more difficult by imposing longer notice
deadlines, but the trust instrument may include provisions to make the resignation process easier.
The bill provides an effective date of July 1, 2022.
B. SECTION DIRECTORY:
Section 1: Amends s. 733.705(5), F.S., relating to payment and objection to claims.
9
Probate Law and Procedure Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, White Paper on
Proposed Amendments to S. 733.705(5), F.S. (2022).
10
Probate Law and Procedure Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, White Paper on
Proposed Amendments to S. 733.705(5), F.S. (2022); see e.g., Lewsadder v. Estate of Lewsadder, 755 So. 2d 1221 (Fla.4th DCA
2000).
11
The Florida Bar, Consumer Pamphlet: The Revocable Trust in Florida, https://www.floridabar.org/public/consumer/pamphlet028/ (last
visited on Jan. 13, 2022).
12
Id.
13
Id.
14
S. 736.0103(27), F.S.
15
S. 736.0705,(1)(a), F.S.
16
Trust Law Committee of the Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section of the Florida Bar, White Paper on Proposed
Amendments to S. 736.0705(1)(a), F.S. – Trustee Resignation (2022).
17
Id. STORAGE NAME: h0625a.CIV PAGE: 4
DATE: 1/13/2022
Section 2: Amends s. 736.0705(1), F.S., relating to resignation of trustee.
Section 3: Provides an effective date of July 1, 2022.
II. FISCAL ANALYSIS & ECONOMIC IMPACT STATEMENT
A. FISCAL IMPACT ON STATE GOVERNMENT:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
B. FISCAL IMPACT ON LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
1. Revenues:
None.
2. Expenditures:
None.
C. DIRECT ECONOMIC IMPACT ON PRIVATE SECTOR:
None.
D. FISCAL COMMENTS:
None.
III. COMMENTS
A. CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES:
None.
1. Applicability of Municipality/County Mandates Provision:
None.
2. Other:
None.
B. RULE-MAKING AUTHORITY:
None.
C. DRAFTING ISSUES OR OTHER COMMENTS:
None.
IV. AMENDMENTS/COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE CHANGES