2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 44. Administration of Estates and Trusts › Article 1. Personal Representatives › §44-1-14b. Notice of Ancillary Filing Without Any Administration of Estate; Time Limits for Filing of Objections

(a) Within 30 days of the filing of a foreign will of a nonresident of this state without appointment of an ancillary personal representative, executor, or administrator as provided in the provisions of §41-5-13(b) of this code or within 30 days of the filing of an affidavit concerning the intestacy of a nonresident of this estate without appointment of an ancillary intestate administrator as provided in the provisions of §44-1-4(b) of this code, the clerk of the county commission shall publish, once a week for two successive weeks, in a newspaper of general circulation within the county of the filing of the foreign will or the affidavit, a notice which is to include:
(1) The name and last known address of the decedent;
(2) The name and address of the county commission before whom the foreign will or affidavit has been filed and a statement that no appointment or administration is being made pursuant to the provisions of law but that a foreign will or affidavit of heirs of the decedent has been filed with the county commission;
(3) The name and address of the party filing the foreign will or affidavit and his or her relationship to the decedent;
(4) The date of first publication of the notice;
(5) A statement that an interested person objecting to the filing of the foreign will or affidavit or objecting to the absence of appointment or administration being made in this state must be filed with the county commission within 60 days after the date of first publication or 30 days of service of the notice, whichever is later.
(b) This notice shall be published as a Class II legal advertisement in compliance with the provisions of §59-3-1 et seq. of this code. The publication of the notice is equivalent to personal service on creditors, devisees or beneficiaries under the will, and heirs at law of the decedent.
(c) The party filing the foreign will or affidavit shall, not later than 30 days after the date of first publication, serve a copy of the notice, published pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, at the last known address by first class mail, postage prepaid or by personal service on the following persons:
(1) The decedents surviving spouse, if any;
(2) If there is a will, the personal representative or personal representatives named therein;
(3) If there is a will, all devisees or beneficiaries named therein;
(4) The heirs at law of the decedent determined under the laws of this state; and
(5) Any known creditors of the decedent residing or located in this state or who may claim a lien or interest against the real estate of the decedent situate in this state.
(d) Any person interested in the estate who objects to the filing of the foreign will or affidavit or objects to the absence of appointment or administration being made in this state shall file notice of an objection with the county commission within 60 days after the date of the first publication as required in subsection (a) of this section or within 30 days after service of the notice as required by subsection (c) of this section, whichever is later. If an objection is not timely filed, the objection is forever barred. The county commission upon receiving any timely objection thereto shall schedule a hearing or hearings thereon and order relief, if any, it considers proper including, but not limited to, an order directing that full and complete ancillary administration of the estate of the nonresident decedent be made in this state.
(e) The clerk of the county commission shall collect a fee that is the amount of the publication of the notice required in this section.