Probate Direct Mail - Petitioner and Special Administrator

[Chris Adamski]

I have been pulling leads myself for marketing to probate leads and feel I may be overlooking some opportunities.  Thus far I am focusing on mailing to Personal Representatives who do not appear to be a spouse of the decedent.  Where I'm hoping to get some advice is that I have come across quite a few cases where there is only a 'Petitioner' and/or 'Special Administrator' - should I be mailing to these people when there is not a PR on file?

In reading through the BP posts, I have seen the arguments for and against contacting the Special Administrators that appear to be attorneys.  I have seen a few attorney names that appear over and over again - I'm thinking about sending them a separate mailing piece that is more general in nature to cover the various cases they are overseeing as opposed to focusing on the individual cases.  I also understand that when the courts do not have the ability to appoint anyone as a PR, they then appoint a Special Administrator who typically has the authority to sell any real estate owned by the decedent - this is making me think I should be mailing to these people as well (assuming they don't appear to be a spouse).  In your experiences, do you send mail to the Special Administrators and do your strategies/content change vs. a PR?

Lastly, do you send mail to a person listed as a Petitioner if there is not a PR or SA?  If so, does your message change to these people?  From what I have seen, most Petitioners do seem to be related to the decedent, but I'm questioning if they have the authority to sell.  Does a Petitioner become a PR/SA after certain milestones are met in a probate case?  Thank you all in advance for any advice.

[Mark Pedroza]

A Special Administrator is appointed to serve in an interim/limited capacity when there are matters needing immediate attention such as an ongoing business (mom & pop store, trucking/towing business, etc.,) or if the decedent's house is in foreclosure or facing foreclosure sale very soon.

It is impossible to specify the best time to contact an executor/administrator! This is a trying time and each PR will respond differently. Be mindful of what they are going through: the death of a loved one, being in charge of a process that can seem overwhelming, dealing with potentially several family members (some of whom may not be the easiest to deal with).

The list goes on and on.

Be compassionate, empathetic and courteous...