Pay verifiable bills that come by mail or email

An executor is responsible for paying all legitimate bills that arrive. There might be bills that arrive after cancellation of services that act as the final bill on the account. There also will be bills for continued upkeep of a house, such as power or gas bills.

If a bill arrives that does not match previous payments of the deceased, consult the estate’s attorney or accountant for help. You don’t want to pay a fraudulent bill.

Though not a bill exactly, a decedent might receive reminders of a pledge payment due. These are often associated with donations to a charitable institution. For the most part, pledges are not legally binding, so you should not pay these unless there is a provision in the will telling you to do so.  If you have any questions, consult the estate’s attorney.