Judiciary Committee Report – Week 3, 2018

SF 2002 – No trespassing if property is marked with purple paint
SSB 3009 – Probate bill increasing the size of a “small” estate
SSB 3010 – Amending probate procedures and powers to conform to EDMS

 

COMMITTEE ACTION:

SF 2002 updates Iowa’s trespassing law. If a property owner places purple paint around their property on trees or fence posts in an unincorporated area, entering the property is forbidden and constitutes trespassing, effective July 1, 2019. The departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources must conduct an “information campaign” to educate the public and property owners about this change.
[1/23: 9-3 (No: Taylor, Boulton, Petersen; Absent: Zaun)]

 

SSB 3009 increases the size of what qualifies as a small estate from $100,000 to $200,000 for probate purposes. If a personal representative files to convert the estate administration to or from a small estate based on assets, a court order is not required to make the change. The clerk shall make the conversion upon the filing of the personal representative’s statement. The bill makes changes to the requirements for closing the estate by sworn statement, specifies what is necessary to close a small estate and clarifies that clerks of court must close a small estate without a court order upon filing proof that the closing statement has been served and proof of asset distribution, or 60 days after filing the closing statement and proof of service, whichever is earlier.
[1/23: short form (Absent: Zaun)]

 

SSB 3010 updates probate Code sections to reflect current practice. Probate procedures required, for example, that actual books be kept for recording real estate transfers or that multiple hard copies of filings are sent to interested parties. This bill conform the Code to reflect Electronic Data Management System (EDMS) standards for electronic filings and electronic record keeping.
[1/23: short form (Absent: Zaun)]