Sec. 404.004. POWERS OF AN ADMINISTRATOR WHO SUCCEEDS AN INDEPENDENT EXECUTOR. (a) Whenever a person has died, or shall die, testate, owning property in this state, and the person's will has been or shall be admitted to probate by the court, and the probated will names an independent executor or executors, or trustees acting in the capacity of independent executors, to execute the terms and provisions of that will, and the will grants to the independent executor, or executors, or trustees acting in the capacity of independent executors, the power to raise or borrow money and to mortgage, and the independent executor, or executors, or trustees, have died or shall die, resign, fail to qualify, or be removed from office, leaving unexecuted parts or portions of the will of the testator, and an administrator with the will annexed is appointed by the probate court, and an administrator's bond is filed and approved by the court, then in all such cases, the court may, in addition to the powers conferred on the administrator under other provisions of the laws of this state, authorize, direct, and empower the administrator to do and perform the acts and deeds, clothed with the rights, powers, authorities, and privileges, and subject to the limitations, set forth in the subsequent provisions of this section.

(b) The court, on application, citation, and hearing, may, by its order, authorize, direct, and empower the administrator to raise or borrow such sums of money and incur such obligations and debts as the court shall, in its said order, direct, and to renew and extend same from time to time, as the court, on application and order, shall provide; and, if authorized by the court's order, to secure such loans, obligations, and debts, by pledge or mortgage on property or assets of the estate, real, personal, or mixed, on such terms and conditions, and for such duration of time, as the court shall consider to be in the best interests of the estate, and by its order shall prescribe; and all such loans, obligations, debts, pledges, and mortgages shall be valid and enforceable against the estate and against the administrator in the administrator's official capacity.

(c) The court may order and authorize the administrator to have and exercise the powers and privileges set forth in Subsection (a) or (b) only to the extent that same are granted to or possessed by the independent executor, or executors, or trustees acting in the capacity of independent executors, under the terms of the probated will of the decedent, and then only in such cases as it appears, at the hearing of the application, that at the time of the appointment of the administrator, there are outstanding and unpaid obligations and debts of the estate, or of the independent executor, or executors, or trustees, chargeable against the estate, or unpaid expenses of administration, or when the court appointing the administrator orders the business of the estate to be carried on and it becomes necessary, from time to time, under orders of the court, for the administrator to borrow money and incur obligations and indebtedness in order to protect and preserve the estate.

(d) The court, in addition, may, on application, citation, and hearing, order, authorize, and empower the administrator to assume, exercise, and discharge, under the orders and directions of the court, made from time to time, all or such part of the rights, powers, and authorities vested in and delegated to, or possessed by, the independent executor, or executors, or trustees acting in the capacity of independent executors, under the terms of the will of the decedent, as the court finds to be in the best interests of the estate and shall, from time to time, order and direct.

(e) The granting to the administrator by the court of some, or all, of the powers and authorities set forth in this section shall be on application filed by the administrator with the county clerk, setting forth such facts as, in the judgment of the administrator, require the granting of the power or authority requested.

(f) On the filing of an application under Subsection (e), the clerk shall issue citation to all persons interested in the estate, stating the nature of the application, and requiring those persons to appear on the return day named in such citation and show cause why the application should not be granted, should they choose to do so. The citation shall be served by posting.

(g) The court shall hear the application and evidence on the application, on or after the return day named in the citation, and, if satisfied a necessity exists and that it would be in the best interests of the estate to grant the application in whole or in part, the court shall so order; otherwise, the court shall refuse the application.

Added by Acts 2011, 82nd Leg., R.S., Ch. 1338 (S.B. 1198), Sec. 2.53, eff. January 1, 2014.