I am owed money by someone who died

The estate opened notice gives creditors 30 days to lodge claims. A claim is a letter to the executor with proof. This page is how that works.

Do this now

  1. Write to the executor named on the notice, at the address printed in the gazette notice, or by email if you have one. The notice page links a web search for that gazette.
  2. Say who you are, how much is owed, and how the debt arose. Attach proof: the invoice, contract, statement or loan agreement.
  3. Keep proof that you sent it and when.
  4. If the 30 days have passed, write anyway. A late claim can be lodged until the estate has paid out. The creditor may have to pay for redoing the account.
  5. If the payout plan ready notice has appeared and your debt is not in the account, object to the Master within the 21 days.

What counts as a claim

Any debt the person owed when they died: a loan, unpaid rent, a medical bill, wages, an account with a shop or a service provider. Funeral costs are a cost of the estate and are paid before other debts.

A debt that arose after the death is not a claim against the person; it is a matter for whoever incurred it.

What the executor does with it

The executor accepts the claim or disputes it. A disputed claim may need to be proved on oath, and the executor may ask for more documents. Accepted claims go into the account and are paid before the heirs receive anything.

If the estate cannot pay all its debts, creditors are paid in the order the law sets and share what is left in proportion. Secured debts, such as a bond over a house, are paid from the thing that secures them.

If you missed the 30 days

The 30 days is the period the executor must allow, not a bar. Until the account has been drawn up, a late claim is simply added. After that, the executor may have to amend the account, which they will resist.

Once the heirs have been paid, the estate is closed. A claim then can only be pursued against the heirs who received the money, which needs a lawyer.

Small estates

An estate worth R250,000 or less usually publishes no notice. The Master appoints a representative, usually a family member, who pays debts from what there is. The Master's office for the district where the person lived can say who that is.

Where this leaves you

Last checked 20 September 2026. The law behind these pages is the Administration of Estates Act 66 of 1965.