Commission directs 30-day notices in two estates after unpaid claims and alleged administrative delays

The Monongalia County Commission voted Wednesday to require the county estate office to send 30-day notices in two probate matters after claimants reported unpaid funeral bills and alleged administrative delays. In the matter of the estate of Clarence Keith Miller, George Miller submitted a claim for funeral expenses that the commission described as standing and effectively a lien against estate real property. The commission instructed the estate office to send a reminder to the estate administrator and set a 30-day deadline for the claim to be addressed; if the estate fails to act, the commission said it may consider additional steps. On the estate of Jeffrey Jones, a petitioner (Ethel Logan) asked that the administrator be removed for failure to take required probate action. The commission likewise directed the estate office to notify the administrator, require deficient filings be corrected within 30 days, and return the matter to the commission for consideration of removal if the administrator does not act. Why it matters: commission directions create an administrative deadline and potential enforcement steps in probate matters where claimants say statutory or procedural steps have not been completed. The commission moved and seconded both instructions and recorded unanimous “aye” votes for both items.