Chapter 4. Actual Notice To Creditors of California Probate Code >> Division 9. >> Part 8. >> Chapter 4.

Except as provided in Section 19054, if the trustee has knowledge of a creditor of the deceased settlor, the trustee shall give notice to the creditor. The notice shall be given as provided in Section 1215. For the purpose of this section, a trustee has knowledge of a creditor of the deceased settlor if the trustee is aware that the creditor has demanded payment from the deceased settlor or the trust estate.

The notice shall be given before expiration of the later of the following times:
  (a) Four months after the first publication of notice under Section 19040.
  (b) Thirty days after the trustee first has knowledge of the creditor.

The notice shall be in substantially the following form:

NOTICE TO CREDITORS OF _____________ # ____________ SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA COUNTY OF _________

Notice is hereby given to the creditors and contingent creditors of the above-named decedent, that all persons having claims against the decedent are required to file them with the Superior Court, at _______, and mail or deliver a copy to ______, as trustee of the trust dated _____ wherein the decedent was the settlor, at _______, within the later of four months after _____ (the date of the first publication of notice to creditors) or, if notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, 60 days after the date this notice is mailed or personally delivered to you, or you must petition to file a late claim as provided in Section 19103 of the Probate Code. A claim form may be obtained from the court clerk. For your protection, you are encouraged to file your claim by certified mail, with return receipt requested. __________________________
  (Date of mailing this notice if applicable)

___________________________
  (name and address of trustee or attorney)

(a) If the trustee believes that notice to a particular creditor is or may be required by this chapter and gives notice based on that belief, the trustee is not liable to any person for giving the notice, whether or not required by this chapter.
  (b) If the trustee fails to give notice required by this chapter, the trustee is not liable to any person for that failure, unless a creditor establishes all of the following:
  (1) The failure was in bad faith.
  (2) The creditor did not have actual knowledge of the proceedings under Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 19000) sooner than one year after publication of notice to creditors under Section 19040, and payment would have been made on the creditor's claim if the claim had been properly filed.
  (3) Within 16 months after the first publication of notice under Section 19040, the creditor did both of the following:
  (A) Filed a petition requesting that the court in which the proceedings under Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 19000) were initiated make an order determining the liability of the trustee under this subdivision.
  (B) At least 30 days before the hearing on the petition, caused notice of the hearing and a copy of the petition to be served on the trustee in the manner provided in Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 413.10) of Title 5 of Part 2 of the Code of Civil Procedure.
  (c) Nothing in this section affects the liability of the trust estate, if any, for the claim of a creditor, and the trustee is not liable to the extent the claim is paid out of the trust estate.
  (d) Nothing in this chapter imposes a duty on the trustee to make a search for creditors of the deceased settlor.

Notwithstanding Section 19050, the trustee need not give notice to a creditor even though the trustee has knowledge of the creditor if either of the following conditions is satisfied:
  (a) The creditor has filed a claim as provided in this part.
  (b) The creditor has demanded payment and the trustee elects to treat the demand as a claim under Section 19154.