General provisions

§ 1309. General provisions

1. The use of this article in the settlement of a small estate without the formality of court administration is permissive and not mandatory.

2. As a matter of comity a debtor, transfer agent, safe deposit company, bank, trust company or person in this state holding personal property of a non-domiciliary decedent, may recognize a certified copy of an affidavit or of a short certificate of a judge or clerk of a probate court made under a statute of another state, providing for the settlement of small estates without administration, for the purpose of collecting or obtaining possession of an asset of a decedent in his state, provided that debtors, transfer agents, safe deposit companies, banks, trust companies or persons in such other state holding personal property of a domiciliary decedent shall, whether pursuant to statute or otherwise, recognize and pay or transfer his personal property pursuant to a short certificate of the court made under this article.

3. A debtor, transfer agent, safe deposit company, bank, trust company or person of another state, shall not be liable to any person in respect of any payment, transfer or delivery of personal property made to a voluntary administrator pursuant to such short certificate.

4. As used in this section, the word "state" means any state of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the territories and possessions of the United States.