[GNC] Executor for Estate - how would you classify money spent before estate is funded?

[Patrick James]

IMO, you have more of a legal question than an accounting question.

Sure you loaned the estate some money, or something, but where are you in the order to be paid back?

Maybe nothing happens, and that's fine and all, but if you run into a legal problem, you might find out how easy it is to spend $100,000 to $250,000 in attorney fees.

Also note that generally the attorney fees are at the top of the priority list, so your loan to the estate might not get paid.

To answer your question, "how would you," I would first retain a probate attorney, and then move forward from there.


> On 02/03/2026 6:46 AM PST Bruce Griffis <bruce.griffis at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>  
> This is an accounting "how would you" question, not a technical GnuCash 
> question.
> 
> I am the executor for my mom's estate. There were expenses before the 
> estate was set up, and as of now - it is still not funded. I paid a few 
> expenses out of pocket and will need to be reimbursed by the estate. I 
> covered three months of heat and electric, two months of Verizon and an 
> electrician. I think as I set it up in GnuCash - the money I spent would 
> be considered a loan from me to the estate, as I expect to bill the 
> estate for those expenses.
> 
> Is that the correct way to go about this? Set it up as a small, personal 
> loan from me to the estate, then pay the estate expenses from that loan? 
> Then at some point once it is funded, pay off the loan to me?
>