Decedents' estates: smaller estates.

Existing law establishes simplified procedures for addressing a decedent's estate valued under $100,000, including authorizing the successor of the decedent to collect property due to the decedent without letters of administration or awaiting probate of a will. Existing law excludes certain property from the determination of the value of the estate, including salary or other compensation owed to the decedent, not to exceed $5,000. Existing law permits a court, pursuant to a petition, to determine succession to property in an estate valued under $100,000, as specified. Existing law establishes an affidavit procedure by which a person may be designated as a successor to a decedent to a particular item of real property valued at no more than $20,000. Existing law establishes an affidavit procedure by which a surviving spouse may collect salary or other compensation owed the deceased spouse when the amount does not exceed $5,000, as specified. This bill would increase the amount of salary or other compensation to be excluded from the determination of the value of the estate from $5,000 to $15,000. The bill would also increase the values in the succession and transfer provisions described above from $100,000 to $150,000 for an estate, from $20,000 to $50,000 for real property, and from $5,000 to $15,000 for salary or compensation. The bill would also make conforming changes.