§560:3-801 Notice to creditors. (a) Unless notice has already been given under this section, a person applying or petitioning for appointment of a personal representative or probate of a will or declaration of an intestacy may publish a notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial circuit in which the application or petition is filed announcing the person's application or petition and the name and address of the person nominated as personal representative, if any, and notifying creditors of the estate to present their claims no later than four months after the date of the first publication of the notice or be forever barred. The notice may be combined with any published notice of the pendency of the probate proceedings.
(b) After appointment the personal representative may give written notice by mail or other delivery to each known creditor, notifying the creditor to present that creditor's claim within four months after the published notice, if given as provided in subsection (a), or within sixty days after the mailing or other delivery of the notice, whichever is later, or be forever barred. Written notice must be the notice described in subsection (a) above or a similar notice.
(c) The personal representative shall undertake reasonable review of the decedent's records to ascertain the decedent's creditors.
(d) The personal representative is not liable to a creditor or to a successor of the decedent for giving or failing to give notice under this section.
(e) If a person other than the original nominee is appointed personal representative, the original nominee or any other person receiving claims shall promptly deliver all claims to the person who is appointed. Failure to deliver by the original nominee shall render the original nominee liable for any damages suffered by the claimants.
(f) The trustee or successor trustee of any trust created by the decedent may publish a notice to creditors once a week for three successive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the judicial circuit in which either:
(1) The decedent was domiciled; or
(2) An application or petition for appointment of personal representative is filed announcing the trustee's name and address, and notifying creditors of the decedent to present their claims to the trustee within four months after the date of the first publication of the notice or be forever barred.
The notice may be combined with the published notice of the pendency of any probate or appointment proceedings. [L 1996, c 288, pt of §1]