The Public Administrator administers estates of deceased Westchester County residents who do not have close next of kin willing or qualified to administer the estate. The Public Administrator's primary duty is; to protect the decedent's property from waste, loss, or theft; to make appropriate burial arrangements when no close relative is available to make the decisions; to conduct thorough investigations to discover all assets; to liquidate assets; to pay the decedent's bills and taxes; and to locate persons entitled to inherit from the estate.
The Public Administrator handles estates in several instances, including, but not limited to, the following:
- There are no known heirs
- No next of kin is available or qualified to handle the estate
- The executor or administrator of an estate becomes ill, dies, is convicted of a felony, or is otherwise disqualified from serving while administering an estate and no one else is available or qualified to handle the estate