Vermont: Estate Inventory and Appraisement Requirements
The short answer
Current 14 V.S.A. § 1051 requires a Vermont executor or administrator to file the original inventory within 60 days after appointment, subject to a good-cause extension, and serve copies under probate procedure. The inventory lists death-owned property in reasonable detail with each item's death-date fair market value and liens or encumbrances; optional qualified disinterested appraisers may assist with doubtful values.
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This is the general rule in Vermont. Ask about your specific facts and see which parts of current Vermont law apply, with citations to the statutes.
| Governing law and administration type | Ordinary Probate Division inventory under 14 V.S.A. §§ 1051-1054 and statewide Form 700-00030; special administrator excluded |
|---|---|
| Who prepares, signs, and verifies | Executor/administrator prepares; special administrator and successor after prior discharge excluded; current form requires fiduciary signature and penalty-of-perjury declaration (§ 1051; Form 700-00030) |
| Deadline, trigger, and extension | Within 60 days after appointment; court may extend for good cause; Judiciary page still says stale 30 days; supplement has no stated clock (§§ 1051, 1053) |
| Court filing or private delivery | File original with Probate Division; mail copies to all interested persons and file certificate of service (§ 1051; court guidance; Form 700-00030) |
| Property scope, exclusions, and encumbrances | Death-owned probate property, reasonably detailed, with lien/encumbrance type and amount; apparel/household subsistence items excluded absent court finding; form requires specified supporting records (§§ 1051, 1054; Form 700-00030) |
| Valuation date and method | Each item at fair market value as of death; form requires item/aggregate entries and additional information for item/collection over $5,000; supplement retains death-date market value (§§ 1051, 1053; Form 700-00030) |
| Appraiser requirement and qualifications | Optional 1+ qualified disinterested appraisers for reasonably doubtful assets; names/addresses identified with items; form requires appraisal information attached (§ 1052; Form 700-00030) |
| Recipients, confidentiality, and access | Mail inventory copies to all interested persons and file service certificate; no inventory-specific confidentiality/sealing rule stated (court guidance; Form 700-00030) |
| Correction, supplementation, and noncompliance | Omitted property or erroneous/misleading value/description requires filed/served supplement; qualifying creditor or beneficiary has 30-day special-appraiser motion; no inventory-specific fine stated (§ 1053) |
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Requirements one by one
Current statute sets a 60-day deadline
14 V.S.A. § 1051 requires filing within 60 days after appointment. The court may
extend that period for good cause. The duty excludes a special administrator
and a successor when another representative already discharged it.
The current Vermont Judiciary estate page still says 30 days, but the current
statute says 60 days and the 2026 enacted-act index shows no amendment to Chapter
63. The current 02/2024 inventory form states no deadline. This official-source
conflict should be checked against current court instructions before filing.
Filing, signature, and service are all required
The representative files the original with the Probate Division of Superior
Court. Current Form 700-00030 requires the fiduciary's signature and declares
the statements true and accurate to the best of the fiduciary's knowledge and
belief, subject to penalty of perjury or other court sanctions.
The current Judiciary guidance and form require mailing copies to all interested
persons and filing a certificate of service identifying the recipients. The
cited statewide sources state no inventory-specific confidentiality, redaction,
or sealing rule.
The inventory separates probate assets from direct transfers
Under § 1051, property owned at death is listed in reasonable detail with each
item's death-date fair market value and the type and amount of each lien or
encumbrance. 14 V.S.A. § 1054 excludes ordinary wearing apparel and household
subsistence items unless the court finds additional intrinsic value or that
inventory inclusion would benefit the estate.
Current court guidance also excludes survivorship property and assets passing
directly by a beneficiary, payable-on-death, transfer-on-death, or similar
designation. A tenancy-in-common share remains included.
Form 700-00030 requires supporting records for specified real estate, mobile
homes, bank and investment accounts, motor vehicles, and items or collections
over $5,000, and places lienholder and approximate debt information in the
property description.
Outside appraisal is optional for doubtful values
Under 14 V.S.A. § 1052, the representative may use one or more qualified and
disinterested appraisers for assets whose value may be reasonably doubtful. The
inventory identifies their names, addresses, and appraised items. The current
form requires that appraisal information be attached.
Section 1052 does not require appraisal of every item and does not prescribe a
separate appraiser oath or certificate.
Supplements and special reappraisal have different triggers
Section 1053 requires a filed and served supplementary inventory or appraisal
for omitted property or an erroneous or misleading value or description. It
uses the new item's death-date market value or the revised value or description
and identifies appraisal or other supporting data. No separate supplement clock
is stated.
Within 30 days after an original or supplemental filing, a creditor with a claim
over $1,000 or an heir, devisee, or legatee entitled to more than $500 may move
for a hearing. The court may appoint special appraisers to reappraise a reported
item or appraise omitted property.
What trips people up
The court page and statute show different deadlines. Current § 1051 says 60
days; the court page still says 30, and the current form is silent.
Death-owned does not mean every asset goes through probate. Current court
guidance excludes survivorship and beneficiary-designated transfers.
The form adds operative filing details. Its signature declaration,
supporting records, and certificate of service go beyond the short statutory
inventory sentence.
Common questions
Can the court allow more than 60 days?
Yes. Section 1051 permits an extension for good cause.
Must every asset have a professional appraisal?
No. Section 1052 makes qualified disinterested appraisers optional for values
subject to reasonable doubt.
What if an interested person disputes a value?
A qualifying creditor or beneficiary may use § 1053's 30-day motion route for a
hearing and possible special appraisal.
Statutes and sources
- 14 V.S.A. §§ 1051-1054 — deadline, filing, service, contents, extension,
appraisers, supplements, reappraisal motion, and exclusions:
http://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/fullchapter/14/063 (accessed
2026-08-10). - Vermont Judiciary estate guidance — service, probate-property boundaries,
and the conflicting 30-day statement:
https://www.vtcourts.gov/probate/estates-and-wills (accessed
2026-08-10). - Vermont Judiciary Form 700-00030 — required records, fiduciary declaration,
signature, appraisal information, filing, and service certificate:
https://www.vtcourts.gov/sites/default/files/documents/700-00030%20Inventory_0.pdf
(accessed 2026-08-10).
Source links
Every statute quoted above, linked, with the date we checked it.
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