Lawson教授讲personal representative

上一篇文章讲personal representative。今天整理了Lawson《财产法》中的相关段落，作为参考资料，分享给大家。看完这几段介绍，估计大家对personal representative, executive和administrator的关系，就很清楚了。

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ADMINISTRATION OF ESTATES

遗产管理

第一段

So far we have discussed the ultimate distribution of the property of a deceased. If we had followed the chronological order, we should have started by discussing the administration of the estate for, as pointed out earlier, distribution must be preceded by administration. However, we have followed the more practical course, because administration varies to some extent depending on whether or not there is a will. The manner of appointing the personal representative will be different because if the deceased made a will it will usually specify an executor to administer the estate as personal representative. If there is no will, or if it fails to name anyone, or if the person named is dead or declines to act, some other means must be found of appointing a personal representative who will, in that case, be called an administrator.

这段是总体介绍。

遗产分配前要先管理（administration）。管理人称为personal representative（遗产代理人），分两种。有遗嘱时，遗嘱指定的管理人叫executive（遗嘱执行人）；没有遗嘱或有遗嘱但指定的executive不愿或不能履行职责，则要靠administrator（遗产管理人）。

第二段

Executors derive their office and powers from the will of the testator. They are free to decline the office but, if they accept, they may at once take various steps which will bind the estate. To regularize their position they must obtain a grant of probate. This involves depositing at the probate registry the original will together with the executors oath, i.e. an affidavit identifying and verifying the will as the last will of the deceased (whose death certificate is produced), and undertaking to administer the estate. In addition the Inland Revenue must be given particulars of the property contained in the estate. The executor is then given a grant of probate with a copy of the will and is fully authorized to deal with the deceased's property of all sorts. This, the normal procedure, is called probate in common form. It is technically an order of the court and so protects the executor even if, for instance, a later will is then found and the original grant revoked. If there is any dispute about the validity of the will, probate must be sought in solemn form which is equivalent to an action and entails a court hearing.

这段讲遗嘱执行人。

遗嘱执行人要走一道合法化手续，才能正式管理遗产。他要向遗嘱认证承办处(probate registry)提交遗嘱原件和宣誓书，还需要向国内税收局(Inland Revenue)提供遗产明细。

然后，取得遗嘱认证书（grant of probate）和遗嘱副本，获权正式管理遗产。这道手续称为普通遗嘱认证（probate in common form）。

如果对遗嘱效力有争议，则需走另外一道手续——正式遗嘱认证(probate in solemn form)，即要提起诉讼。

第三段

If there is no executor, some person interested in having the estate administered applies to the probate registry for letters of administration. On intestate succession, preference is given to the surviving spouse, the children, parents, and so on. If any likely beneficiary is a minor, administration will be granted to at least two individuals, or to a trust corporation. Once letters of administration are granted, the grantee becomes the personal representative of the deceased and entitled to act.

如果没有遗嘱执行人，配偶、子女、父母和其他有意向之人，都可申请担任遗产管理人。

申请要向遗嘱认证承办处提交，申请的目标是遗产管理证书（letter of administration）。获得遗产管理证书，便成为遗产管理人，可管理遗产。

第四段

Personal representatives, whether executors or administrators, succeed to all those rights and obligations of the deceased that do not die with him (as is the case, for instance, with a claim for damages in defamation). They can claim property belonging to the deceased and collect debts due. They can be sued to recover property belonging to someone else which the deceased possessed and on debts or for torts which the deceased owed or committed.In all these cases they act, not for them selves, but as a representative. Their own creditors cannot reach the deceased's estate, nor can the estate's creditors go against the private assets of the representative.

这段讲遗产代理人（遗嘱执行人 or 遗产管理人）的职责范围：

收回他人占有的遗产，收取他人欠死者的债务，处理死者侵权事宜（侵犯他人、被他人侵犯）；

为此起诉、应诉；

“在实施这些活动时，遗产代理人并非为自身行事，而是作为死者代理人（representative）行事。”

特别把这句话引出来，与里面的representative有关。以前专门写过“代表”与“代理”，前一阵子重读，发现写得蛮好，已经基本理清楚了。这句话可算是印证。