Nevada Code § 111.779

Liability of nonprobate transferee; proceedings to impose liability; payment of claims against nonprobate assets
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1. Except as otherwise provided in NRS 21.090 and other applicable law, a
transferee of a nonprobate transfer is liable to the probate estate of the decedent
for allowed claims against that decedents probate estate to the extent the
estate is insufficient to satisfy those claims.
2. The liability of a nonprobate
transferee may not exceed the value of nonprobate transfers received or
controlled by that transferee.
3. Nonprobate transferees are liable for
the insufficiency described in subsection 1 in the following order of priority:
(a) A transferee specified in the decedents will
or any other governing instrument as being liable for such an insufficiency, in
the order of priority provided in the will or other governing instrument;
(b) The trustee of a trust serving as the
principal nonprobate instrument in the decedents estate plan as shown by its
designation as devisee of the decedents residuary estate or by other facts or
circumstances, to the extent of the value of the nonprobate transfer received
or controlled; and
(c) Other nonprobate transferees, in proportion
to the values received.
4. Unless otherwise provided by the trust
instrument, interests of beneficiaries in all trusts incurring liabilities
under this section abate as necessary to satisfy the liability, as if all the
trust instruments were a single will and the interests were devises under it.
5. If a nonprobate transferee is a spouse
or a minor child, the nonprobate transferee may petition the court to be
excluded from the liability imposed by this section as if the nonprobate
property received by the spouse or minor child were part of the decedents
estate. Such a petition may be made pursuant to the applicable provisions of chapter 146 of NRS, including, without
limitation, the provisions of NRS 146.010 and 146.020 and subsection 2 of NRS 146.070 .
6. A provision made in one instrument may
direct the apportionment of the liability among the nonprobate transferees
taking under that or any other governing instrument. If a provision in one
instrument conflicts with a provision in another, the later one prevails.
7. Upon due notice to a nonprobate
transferee, the liability imposed by this section is enforceable in probate
proceedings in this State, whether or not the transferee is located in this
State.
8. If a probate proceeding is pending at
the time of filing and it has been determined by a final order issued by the
probate court that there are insufficient assets to pay a valid creditor, a
proceeding under this section may be commenced by one of the following persons:
(a) The personal representative of the decedents
estate. A personal representative who declines in good faith to commence a
proceeding incurs no personal liability for declining.
(b) A creditor of the estate, if the personal
representative has declined or refused to commence an action within 30 days
after receiving a written demand by a creditor. Such demand must identify the
nonprobate transfers known to the creditor. If the creditor is unaware of any
nonprobate transfers, in the probate proceeding, the creditor may, pursuant to NRS 155.170 , obtain discovery, perpetuate
testimony or conduct examinations in any manner authorized by law or by the
Nevada Rules of Civil Procedure to ascertain whether any nonprobate transfers
exist. If the creditor is unable to identify any nonprobate transfers within a
reasonable time after conducting discovery, the creditor may not proceed under
this section. If a creditor commences an action under this section:
(1) The creditor must proceed at the
expense of the creditor and not of the estate.
(2) If a creditor successfully establishes
an entitlement to payment under this section and collects nonprobate transfers,
the court must order the reimbursement of the costs reasonably incurred by the
creditor, including attorneys fees, from the transferee from whom the payment
is to be made, subject to the limitations of subsection 2, or from the estate
as a cost of administration, or partially from each, as the court deems just.
9. If a probate proceeding is not pending,
a proceeding under this section may be commenced as a civil action by a
creditor at the expense of the creditor.
10. If a proceeding is commenced pursuant
to this section, it must be commenced:
(a) If a probate proceeding is pending in which
notice to creditors has been given at the time of filing a proceeding under
this section:
(1) As to a creditor whose claim was
properly and timely filed, allowed by the personal representative or partially
allowed by the personal representative, and accepted by the creditor pursuant
to NRS 147.160 , within 60 days after the
probate court enters an order confirming the amount of payment of the approved
claim that is final and no longer subject to reconsideration or appeal or
within 1 year after the decedents death, whichever is later.
(2) As to a creditor:
(I) Whose claim was rejected by the
personal representative, partially allowed by the personal representative and
rejected by the creditor pursuant to NRS
147.160 , or deemed rejected by the personal representative pursuant to NRS 147.110 ;
(II) Who adjudicated the creditors
claims in the proper court or by a summary adjudication; and
(III) Who obtained a favorable final
judgment on its claim from the proper court,
within 60
days after the probate court enters an order confirming the amount of payment
of the approved claim that is final and no longer subject to reconsideration or
appeal or within 1 year after the decedents death, whichever is later.
(b) If an action had been commenced against the
decedent before the decedents death, the creditor receives a judgment against
the decedents estate and the creditor has filed a proper and timely creditors
claim against the estate, within 60 days after the probate court enters an
order confirming the amount of payment of the adjudicated claim that is final
and no longer subject to reconsideration or appeal or within 1 year after the
decedents death, whichever is later.
(c) As to the recovery of benefits paid for
Medicaid, within 3 years after the decedents death.
(d) As to all other creditors, within 1 year
after the decedents death.
11. Unless a written notice asserting that
a decedents probate estate is nonexistent or insufficient to pay allowed
claims and statutory allowances has been received from the decedents personal
representative, the following rules apply:
(a) Payment or delivery of assets by a financial
institution, registrar or other obligor to a nonprobate transferee in
accordance with the terms of the governing instrument controlling the transfer
releases the obligor from all claims for amounts paid or assets delivered.
(b) A trustee receiving or controlling a
nonprobate transfer is released from liability under this section with respect
to any assets distributed to the trusts beneficiaries. Each beneficiary to the
extent of the distribution received becomes liable for the amount of the trustees
liability attributable to assets received by the beneficiary.
12. Except as otherwise provided in
subsection 13, notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary:
(a) A creditor has no claim against:
(1) Property transferred pursuant to a
power of appointment exercised by a decedent unless the power of appointment
was actually exercised in favor of the decedent or the decedents estate.
(2) Property transferred pursuant to a
beneficiary designation by a decedent which transfers money held by any of the
following:
(I) An individual retirement
arrangement which conforms with or is maintained pursuant to the applicable
limitations and requirements of section 408 or 408A of the Internal Revenue
Code, 26 U.S.C. 408 and 408A, including, without limitation, an inherited
individual retirement arrangement;
(II) A written simplified employee
pension plan which conforms with or is maintained pursuant to the applicable
limitations and requirements of section 408 of the Internal Revenue Code, 26
U.S.C. 408, including, without limitation, an inherited simplified employee
pension plan;
(III) A cash or deferred arrangement
plan which is qualified and maintained pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code,
including, without limitation, an inherited cash or deferred arrangement plan;
(IV) A trust forming part of a stock
bonus, pension or profit-sharing plan which is qualified and maintained
pursuant to sections 401 et seq. of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 401
et seq.; and
(V) A trust forming part of a
qualified tuition program pursuant to chapter
353B of NRS, any applicable regulations adopted pursuant to chapter 353B of NRS and section 529 of the
Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. 529, unless the money is deposited after the
entry of a judgment against the purchaser or account owner or the money will
not be used by any beneficiary to attend a college or university.
(3) Property transferred pursuant to a
beneficiary designation by a decedent which transfers money, benefits or
privileges that accrue in any manner out of life insurance.
(4) Proceeds of any wages of the decedent
which were exempt from execution during the decedents lifetime pursuant to
paragraph (g) of subsection 1 of NRS 21.090 .
(5) A trust, a beneficial interest of the
decedent under a trust or amount payable from a trust if the trust was created
by someone other than the decedent, except to enforce a valid assignment of the
decedents beneficial interest under a trust that is not a spendthrift trust.
(6) An irrevocable trust or amounts
payable from a trust if the trust was properly created as a valid spendthrift
trust under chapter 166 of NRS, except with
respect to property transferred to the trust by the decedent to the extent
permitted under subsections 1, 2 and 3 of NRS
166.170 .
(b) A purchaser for value of property or a lender
who acquires a security interest in the property from a beneficiary of a
nonprobate transfer after the death of the owner, in good faith:
(1) Takes the property free of any claims
or of liability to the owners estate, creditors of the owners estate, persons
claiming rights as beneficiaries under the nonprobate transfer or heirs of the
owners estate, in absence of actual knowledge that the transfer was improper;
and
(2) Has no duty to verify sworn
information relating to the nonprobate transfer. The protection provided by
this subparagraph applies to information that relates to the ownership interest
of the beneficiary in the property and the beneficiarys right to sell,
encumber and transfer good title to a purchaser or lender and does not relieve
a purchaser or lender from the notice imparted by instruments of record
respecting the property.
13. Nothing in this section exempts any
real or personal property from any statute of this State that authorizes the
recovery of money owed to the Nevada Health Authority as a result of the
payment of benefits from Medicaid.
14. As used in this section, devise has
the meaning ascribed to it in NRS 132.095 .

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