CHAPTER 2. Right of Surviving Spouse to Dispose of Property [13540. - 13545.]

Cal. Probate Code - PROB 2.

in effect

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 13540. Section 13540.

(a) Except as provided in Section 13541, after 40 days from the death of a spouse, the surviving spouse or the personal representative, guardian of the estate, or conservator of the estate of the surviving spouse has full power to sell, convey, lease, mortgage, or otherwise deal with and dispose of the community or quasi-community real property, and the right, title, and interest of any grantee, purchaser, encumbrancer, or lessee shall be free of rights of the estate of the deceased spouse or of devisees or creditors of the deceased spouse to the same extent as if the property had been owned as the separate property of the surviving spouse. (b) The surviving spouse or the personal representative, guardian of the estate, or conservator of the estate of the surviving spouse may record, prior to or together with the instrument that makes a disposition of property under this section, an affidavit of the facts that establish the right of the surviving spouse to make the disposition. (c) Nothing in this section affects or limits the liability of the surviving spouse under Sections 13550 to 13553, inclusive, and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 13560).

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 13541. Section 13541.

(a) Section 13540 does not apply to a sale, conveyance, lease, mortgage, or other disposition that takes place after a notice that satisfies the requirements of this section is recorded in the office of the county recorder of the county in which real property is located. (b) The notice shall contain all of the following: (1) A description of the real property in which an interest is claimed. (2) A statement that an interest in the property is claimed by a named person under the will of the deceased spouse. (3) The name or names of the owner or owners of the record title to the property. (c) There shall be endorsed on the notice instructions that it shall be indexed by the recorder in the name or names of the owner or owners of record title to the property, as grantor or grantors, and in the name of the person claiming an interest in the property, as grantee. (d) A person shall not record a notice under this section for the purpose of slandering title to the property. If the court in an action or proceeding relating to the rights of the parties determines that a person recorded a notice under this section for the purpose of slandering title, the court shall award against the person the cost of the action or proceeding, including a reasonable attorney’s fee, and the damages caused by the recording.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 13542. Section 13542.

The repeal of former Section 649.2 by Chapter 783 of the Statutes of 1986 does not affect any sale, lease, mortgage, or other transaction or disposition of real property made prior to July 1, 1987, to which that section applied, and such a sale, lease, mortgage, or other transaction or disposition shall continue to be governed by the provisions of former Section 649.2 notwithstanding the repeal of that section.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 13545. Section 13545.

(a) After the death of a spouse, the surviving spouse, or the personal representative, guardian of the estate, or conservator of the estate of the surviving spouse has full power to sell, assign, pledge, or otherwise deal with and dispose of community or quasi-community property securities registered in the name of the surviving spouse alone, and the right, title, and interest of any purchaser, assignee, encumbrancer, or other transferee shall be free of the rights of the estate of the deceased spouse or of devisees or creditors of the deceased spouse to the same extent as if the deceased spouse had not died. (b) Nothing in this section affects or limits the liability of a surviving spouse under Sections 13550 to 13553, inclusive, and Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 13560).

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026