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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>69173</law_id><section_number>64.2-553</section_number><catch_line>When court to order payment of debts</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="64.2">Wills, Trusts, and Fiduciaries</unit><unit label="subtitle" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="II">Wills and Decedents' Estates</unit><unit label="chapter" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="5">Personal Representatives and Administration of Estates</unit><unit label="article" level="4" order_by="1" identifier="9">Settlement of Accounts and Distribution</unit></structure><text>
						<section id="A"><p><span class="prefix-number">A.</span> Upon confirmation of a report of the accounts of any <span class="dictionary">personal representative</span> and of the debts and demands against the decedent&#x2019;s estate pursuant to Chapter 12 (&#xA7; <a class="law" title="Commissioners of accounts" href="/64.2-1200/">64.2-1200</a> et seq.), the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> that so much of the estate in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the <span class="dictionary">personal representative</span> as is proper be applied to the payment of such debts and demands. The <span class="dictionary">court</span>, in its discretion, may <span class="dictionary">order</span> that a portion of the estate be reserved to pay all or a proportion of a claim of a <span class="dictionary">surety</span> for the decedent or any other <span class="dictionary">contingent claim</span> against the estate, or to pay all or a proportion of any other claim not finally passed upon, provided that <span class="dictionary">creditors</span> of the same class shall be paid in the same proportion. <a id="paragraph-250294" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-553/#A"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="B"><p><span class="prefix-number">B.</span> For any claim allowed subsequent to any dividend where the <span class="dictionary">court</span> ordered that a portion of the estate be reserved to pay such a claim, the <span class="dictionary">court</span> shall <span class="dictionary">order</span> that the claim be paid from the estate in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the <span class="dictionary">personal representative</span>, regardless of the existence of any debt or demand of superior dignity for which no reservation has been ordered. The claim shall be paid in the same proportion as <span class="dictionary">creditors</span> of the same class, provided, however, that whether there be enough reserved to pay the claim pursuant to this subsection shall not affect any dividend already paid. <a id="paragraph-250295" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-553/#B"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section>
						<section id="C"><p><span class="prefix-number">C.</span> If there are <span class="dictionary">assets</span> remaining in the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the <span class="dictionary">personal representative</span> after claims are paid pursuant to subsections A and B, or if further <span class="dictionary">assets</span> come into the <span class="dictionary">possession</span> of the <span class="dictionary">personal representative</span>, such surplus shall be divided among all the decedent&#x2019;s <span class="dictionary">creditors</span> who have proved debts and demands against the decedent&#x2019;s estate in the <span class="dictionary">order</span> and proportion in which they may be entitled. <a id="paragraph-250296" class="section-permalink" href="https://vacode.org/64.2-553/#C"><i class="fa fa-link"/></a></p></section></text><history>Code 1950, &#xA7;&#xA7; 64-164, 64-165, 64-166; 1968, c. 656, &#xA7;&#xA7; 64.1-174, 64.1-175, 64.1-176; 2012, c. 614.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
