Can an estate account be used to pay mortgage and or rent payments as well as utilities?

Answer 1

This depends on how the house is treated in the will. Generally, if the house is given to a beneficiary specifically or through the residuary clause, or if it goes to an heir by intestate succession, the house becomes the property of the beneficiary as of the date of death even though the beneficiary is not entitled to actual possession yet. In that case, mortgage, property taxes, insurance and utilities are the obligation of the beneficiary or heir and are not true estate expenses. Since the estate account contains estate monies that may be used only for estate expenses and since those are not estate expenses, the estate account may not be used for them. However; if the will states that the house is not to be given to anyone in particular but that it is to be sold by the estate and the proceeds given to the the beneficiary, then the carrying charges of the house are legitimate estate expenses and the estate account may be used. In the world of reality and practicality, the estate account is sometimes used, even though it may technically be wrong. Sometimes, beneficiaries agree to let the estate account pay for carrying charges, subject to the beneficiary reimbursing the estate later on. As far as rent payments go, obviously, the estate account will be used to pay for the rental obligations the decedent has, because this is a legitimate debt of the decedent. But, the estate account cannot pay for someone else to live there. The executor has an obligation to cancel the lease as soon as practicable so that no unnecessary rent payments accrue.