Singapore legislation
Section 6
Section 6
Administration of small estates
(1)
Any person who in the opinion of the Public Trustee would be entitled to apply to the court for an order for the administration of an estate, the gross capital value of which is proved to the satisfaction of the Public Trustee to be less than the prescribed amount, may apply to the Public Trustee to administer the estate, and where any such application is made, and it appears to the Public Trustee that the persons beneficially entitled are persons of small means, the Public Trustee must administer the estate, unless the Public Trustee sees good reason for refusing to do so.
(2)
On the Public Trustee undertaking, by written declaration signed and sealed by him or her, to administer the estate, the trust property vests, by virtue of this Act, in the Public Trustee.
(3)
As from such vesting, any trustee entitled under the trust to administer the estate is discharged from all liability attaching to the administration, except in respect of past acts.
(4)
For the purposes of the administration, the Public Trustee may exercise the administrative powers and authorities of the court that are conferred on him or her by rules made under this Act, subject to any conditions that are imposed by the rules.
(5)
Rules may be made under this Act for enabling the Public Trustee to take the opinion of the court on any question arising in the course of any administration without judicial proceedings, and otherwise for making the procedure under this section simple and inexpensive.
(6)
Where proceedings have been instituted in any court for the administration of an estate, the court may order the Public Trustee to administer the estate, subject to any directions that the court may give, where it appears to the court that —
by reason of the small value of the estate, the estate can be more economically administered by the Public Trustee than by any other person; or
for any other reason, it is expedient that the estate should be administered by the Public Trustee instead of any other person.
(7)
The court must, before making any order under subsection (6), consider the views of the Public Trustee on the matter.
(8)
Where the court makes an order under subsection (6), this section applies as if the Public Trustee has given an undertaking under subsection (2) to administer the estate.
(9)
Where any trust money (forming part of an estate administered by the Public Trustee under this section) which is not included in the Common Fund is normally insufficient to earn bank interest if kept in a bank current account, the money may be kept in a general banking account or deposited in any bank and any interest allowed by the bank must be paid into the Consolidated Fund.