A personal representative is: A fiduciary; and Under a general duty to settle and distribute the estate of the decedent in accordance with the terms of the will and the estates of decedents law as expeditiously and with as little sacrifice of value as is reasonable under the circumstances. A personal representative shall use the authority conferred on the personal representative by: The estates of decedents law; The terms of the will; Orders in proceedings to which the personal representative is a party; and The equitable principles generally applicable to fiduciaries, fairly considering the interests of all interested persons and creditors. Unless the time of distribution is extended by order of court for good cause shown, the personal representative shall distribute all the assets of the estate of which the personal representative has taken possession or control within the time provided in § 7–305 of this title for rendering the first account. The personal representative does not incur any personal liability for the payment of claims or distribution of assets even if the personal representative does not consider claims for injuries to the person prosecuted under the provisions of § 8–103(e) or § 8–104 of this article, if at the time of payment or distribution: The personal representative had no actual knowledge of the claim; and The plaintiff had not filed on time a claim with the register.

A personal representative has a right to and shall take possession or control of the estate of the decedent, except that property in the possession of the person presumptively entitled to it as heir or legatee shall be possessed by the personal representative only when reasonably necessary for purposes of administration. The request by a personal representative for delivery of property possessed by the heir or legatee is conclusive evidence, in an action against the heir or legatee for possession, that the possession of the property by the personal representative is reasonably necessary for purposes of administration. The personal representative may maintain an action to recover possession of property or to determine its title.

After the appointment of a personal representative, the register shall have a notice of the appointment published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of appointment once a week in 3 successive weeks, announcing the appointment and address of the personal representative, and notifying creditors of the estate to present their claims. The personal representative shall file or have filed with the register a certification that a notice has been published. The notice of appointment shall be substantially in the following form: “To all persons interested in the estate of.......................: This is to give notice that the undersigned, ……… whose address is ……… was, on ………, appointed personal representative of the estate of ……… who died on …… (with) (without) a will. All interested persons or unpaid claimants having any objection to the appointment of the personal representative shall file the same with the register of wills on or before 6 months from the date of the appointment. All persons having any objection to the probate of the will of the decedent shall file the same with the register of wills on or before 6 months from the date of the appointment. All persons having claims against the decedent must present their claims to the undersigned, or file them with the register of wills on or before the earlier of the following dates: 6 months from the date of the decedent’s death; or 2 months after the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to the creditor a copy of this published notice or other written notice, notifying the creditor that the creditor’s claim will be barred unless the creditor presents the claim within 2 months from the mailing or other delivery of the notice. Any claim not filed on or before that date, or any extension provided by law, is unenforceable thereafter. …………………………… Personal representative Date of first publication: ……………………………”.

Promptly after appointment, the personal representative of a decedent’s estate shall: Make a reasonably diligent effort to ascertain the names and addresses of the decedent’s creditors; and Mail or otherwise deliver a notice to those creditors whose names and addresses the personal representative has ascertained of the time within which their claims may be presented under § 8–103(a) of this article. Notice under this section shall be sufficient if the personal representative mails or otherwise delivers to a creditor a copy of the notice required by § 7-103(b) of this subtitle. The failure of a creditor to receive notice under this section shall not extend the time within which the creditor may present a claim beyond 6 months from the date of the decedent’s death. The personal representative, individually and on behalf of the estate, is not liable for failing under this section to ascertain or notify a creditor or for giving notice to a person who is not a creditor of the decedent.

Not later than 20 days after the appointment of a personal representative, the personal representative shall deliver to the register the text of the first published newspaper notice of the appointment and shall advise the register of the names and addresses of the heirs of the decedent and of the legatees to the extent known by the personal representative, so that the register may issue the notices provided in § 2–210 of this article. The provisions of this section do not apply to a successor personal representative if notice under this section has been given previously, or to a person appointed pursuant to judicial probate.

Whenever a personal representative discovers that a document previously filed by the personal representative or a predecessor personal representative is incomplete or erroneous, the personal representative shall promptly file a revised and corrected document with the register, reciting the correct information if known by the personal representative.