No informal probate or appointment proceeding or formal testacy or appointment proceeding, other than a proceeding to probate a will previously probated at the testator's domicile and appointment proceedings relating to an estate in which there has been a prior appointment, may be commenced more than three years after the decedent's death, except (1) if a previous proceeding was dismissed because of doubt about the fact of the decedent's death, appropriate probate, appointment, or testacy proceedings may be maintained at any time thereafter upon a finding that the decedent's death occurred prior to the initiation of the previous proceeding and the applicant or petitioner has not delayed unduly in initiating the subsequent proceeding; (2) appropriate probate, appointment, or testacy proceedings may be maintained in relation to the estate of an absent, disappeared, or missing person for whose estate a conservator has been appointed, at any time within three years after the conservator becomes able to establish the death of the protected person; (3) a proceeding to contest an informally probated will and to secure appointment of the person with legal priority for appointment in the event the contest is successful may be commenced within the later of twelve months from the informal probate or three years from the decedent's death; and (4) an informal probate or appointment or a formal testacy or appointment proceeding may be commenced thereafter if no formal or informal proceeding for probate or proceeding concerning the succession or administration has occurred within the three-year period, but claims other than expenses of administration may not be presented against the estate. These limitations do not apply to proceedings to construe probated wills or determine heirs of an intestate. In cases under (1) or (2) above, the date on which a testacy or appointment proceeding is properly commenced shall be deemed to be the date of the decedent's death for purposes of other limitations provisions of this code which relate to the date of death.

Annotations

A proceeding to appoint a personal representative could be commenced more than 3 years after the decedent's death, because no formal or informal proceeding for probate or proceeding concerning the succession or administration had occurred within the 3-year period. In re Estate of Severson, 310 Neb. 982, 970 N.W.2d 94 (2022).

The exception to the 3-year statute of limitations in subsection (4) of this section is not applicable when any prior formal or informal proceeding for probate, whether completed or not, has occurred. In re Estate of Fuchs, 297 Neb. 667, 900 N.W.2d 896 (2017).

The statute of limitations in this section is self-executing and ordinarily begins to run upon the decedent's death. In re Estate of Fuchs, 297 Neb. 667, 900 N.W.2d 896 (2017).

This section permits an informal appointment proceeding to be commenced more than 3 years after the decedent's death if no formal or informal proceeding for probate or proceeding concerning the succession or administration has occurred within the 3-year period. In re Estate of Nemetz, 273 Neb. 918, 735 N.W.2d 363 (2007).