A situation was presented in Estate of Heggstad (1993), 16 CA4th 943, 20 CR2d 433, in which the settlor of a revocable living trust failed to execute and record a deed to transfer title to real property to the settlor’s trust. However, the Declaration of Trust document had a Schedule of Assets attached with a declaration that settlor held the property as trustee of the trust. In that case, the court held that the Declaration of Trust alone was sufficient to transfer title to the property to the trust. The result was the court ordered that the Settlor’s property listed on the Schedule of Assets was titled in the name of the trust and probate was avoided.

In order for a Legal Document Assistant (LDA) to assist you in pursuing a Heggstad Petition, you must be able to present written evidence that the Settlor’s intent was the assets you are trying to collect were supposed to have been titled in the name of his trust. As in the Estate of Heggstad, this is most commonly and effectively done with a Schedule of Assets (or “Schedule A”) which was attached to or otherwise accompanied the trust documents.

Although a Schedule of Assets really is essential, other written evidence may be considered and accepted by the court. For example, a recorded grant deed transferring real estate to the Trust may contain an error or may have been recorded improperly, and it is too late to remedy the error because of the Settlor’s death. Or there may be confusion as to the names of the Settlor, such as having an asset held in a married name as opposed to a maiden name.

Granting the petition is entirely up to the court.

A Heggstad Petition is a petition in the probate division of the Superior Court. The trust’s beneficiaries must receive notice of the proceedings and a copy of the Petition. Additionally, all of the decedent’s heirs must also be notified of the proceedings and receive a copy of the Petition – even if they are not trust beneficiaries.

The Heggstad Petition is only intended to collect the assets not owned by the trust, and alone the Petition does not satisfy trust administration procedural requirements. You should consult with an attorney, or do your own research to see what else is necessary in order to proceed with the administration of the rest of the trust.