Who does which part
The executor stays in charge of every decision. The work gets split by who has to be where.
| What has to happen | Where | Who |
|---|---|---|
| Petition for letters testamentary or letters of administration | Queens County Surrogate's Court, by filing | The estate's attorney, with your signature |
| Value as of the date of death, in writing | Built from the record; one visit to the home | Settle Bayside, at no cost. Request it. |
| Estate tax lien release (Form ET-117) | Filed with the Tax Department | The attorney or CPA |
| Questions to the managing agent: what the board needs from an estate, flip tax, maintenance position, interview format | Phone and email | Settle Bayside, with your say-so |
| Clearing the home: family items out, donation, cleanout crew | At the home | Family for the keepsakes; Settle Bayside lines up and meets the crew |
| Decide what to fix, if anything | By phone, with photos | You decide; the program gives you the cost against the likely price difference |
| Listing agreement and contract of sale | Electronic signature; the contract through the attorney | You sign as executor once letters issue |
| Showings and offers | At the home; offers by email | Settle Bayside |
| Co-op board package and interview | Package by email; interview in person or by video, depending on the building | The buyer, with the managing agent; the program tracks the 15-day and 45-day clocks |
| Closing | Usually in person in New York, or by power of attorney | The attorney arranges; ask early whether you need to travel |
General sequence for a home that passes through probate or administration. A home held in a trust or passed by a transfer-on-death deed skips the court step; that page is here. Whether a closing can be done without you is the attorney's call.
What you will want to know before you book a flight
- Whether the board interviews by video. Some Bayside buildings do, some do not; the managing agent will say.
- Whether the closing can be handled by power of attorney. The attorney answers that.
- How the keys get here. A lockbox, a neighbor, or the managing agent, depending on the building.
- What the maintenance or carrying costs are each month the home sits, so a slow decision has a price on it.
How we stay in step
One written update after anything happens: a showing, an offer, a managing agent answer, a crew visit. Photos of the home before and after it is cleared. The timeline with the three outside clocks on it, so when something waits you know why. Build the timeline for your dates.
Bayside only: 11360, 11361 and 11364. A home elsewhere in Queens gets a straight answer and a name.
Start here
Bayside only: 11360, 11361 and 11364. Text, call or email. The first conversation and the value letter cost nothing.
Helpful to have ready
- The property address, and the building and apartment for a co-op
- The date of death
- Whether the court has issued letters yet
- Your role: executor, administrator, heir, CPA or attorney
At the first real conversation you receive New York's required agency disclosure and housing discrimination disclosure forms.
Sources
- Estate tax lien release: NYS Department of Taxation and Finance, Release of estate tax lien.
- Co-op board deadlines: NYC Local Law 58 of 2026 (Int. 1120-B), as summarized by Pryor Cashman and Armstrong Lefkowitz Sklaw.