How do you sell a house in probate in Pasadena?

The work typically runs in nine steps, from confirming that probate is needed to the court's order distributing the proceeds. The order can vary: some steps overlap, and some depend on the court's orders and the estate's attorney.

1. Confirm a court case is needed. Check how the house was titled and compare the estate to the small-estate limits for the date of death (table below). If the home was titled in a living trust, ask the estate's attorney whether a probate case is needed at all.
2. Open the case and obtain letters. A petition (form DE-111) asks the court to appoint a personal representative. For a Pasadena estate, Los Angeles Superior Court's local rules place probate filings and hearings at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse (see the court section below).
3. Read the letters for the authority granted. Full or limited IAEA authority sets the selling route.
4. Complete the estate inventory and appraisal. The courts' self-help page lists preparing the Inventory and Appraisal (form DE-160) among the personal representative's tasks (self-help guide). That estate-wide inventory is a separate requirement from the sale-specific one: a sale that needs court confirmation must have an appraisal, with a valuation date, within one year before the confirmation hearing (Prob. Code §10309).
5. Prepare the house with Pasadena's rules in view. Apply for the City's Presale Certificate early, and check the specific parcel's historic status before authorizing any exterior work.
6. Set the price and list. The personal representative signs for the estate; the estate's probate attorney advises on terms.
7. Accept an offer through the right procedure. That means a Notice of Proposed Action under full authority, or a confirmation petition and hearing under limited authority.
8. Close escrow. The City says the owner is responsible for obtaining the Presale Certificate before close of escrow, and the documentary transfer tax is collected when the deed is recorded.
9. Hold proceeds for distribution. Sale proceeds remain estate property. They are distributed under the court's orders: preliminary and final distributions both need court supervision, even with full authority (Prob. Code §10501(a)(4)).

The City says the owner is responsible for obtaining a Presale Certificate before close of escrow, so an estate sale should plan on one from the start.

Last verified Oct 24, 2026 against the City's Presale Self-Certification Program page.

Under Ordinance No. 7337 and Pasadena Municipal Code Section 14.17, the City states that before the close of escrow for the sale of a single-family house, condominium, townhouse or duplex, the owner is responsible for obtaining a Presale Certificate of Completion or a Presale Certificate of Inspection.

• Certificate of Completion (self-certification). Available when the property has no open code compliance cases and the owner self-certifies three things: the living space does not exceed the County Assessor's record by 10% or more; the property meets fire prevention, detection and exiting requirements; and there is no unpermitted construction, addition, conversion or accessory structure over 120 square feet.
• Certificate of Inspection. Required when the property is not eligible for self-certification. The City schedules an inspection and issues a housing inspection report. If no deficiencies are found, the certificate is issued.
• If the inspection finds deficiencies. The City lists two options. The owner can address them and schedule a re-inspection, which carries an additional fee. Or the owner can execute a Transfer of Responsibility, which the City describes as "transferring responsibility to the buyer to remedy the identified deficiencies." That language covers the deficiencies the inspection identified. It does not say that the estate's other duties as a seller, such as disclosures, go away.

Start early, because the certificate can affect the timeline. Ask the estate's attorney who signs the application for the estate, and whether a Transfer of Responsibility suits this sale.

Under Los Angeles Superior Court's local rules, a Pasadena decedent's estate is generally filed and heard at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, not at the Pasadena Courthouse.

Confirm the filing location for your case. Filing location and case assignment turn on the facts, including where the decedent resided and where the petitioner resides. The rules also let the Supervising Judge of the Probate Division transfer a probate case between the Central and North Districts. Confirm both with the estate's probate attorney and the court's current instructions. The official rules are on the court's site: LASC Local Rules, Chapter 2 (districts and filing locations; 2026 edition), Chapter 4 (probate; 2026 edition) and the court's local rules page.

Local Rule 4.3(a), amended effective January 1, 2026, reads: "Except for the North District, all probate matters are filed and heard in the Central District at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse." Rule 2.3 (amended effective January 1, 2026) allows a decedent's estate to be filed in the North District only when the decedent resided or the petitioner resides there, and Rule 2.2 places the North District at the Antelope Valley Courthouse in Lancaster and the Pasadena Courthouse (300 E. Walnut St.) in the Northeast District. The Stanley Mosk Courthouse is at 111 N. Hill St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 (LASC Local Rules, Chapter 2).

Two more local rules shape the pace. Under Rule 4.5, the first paper filed must be accompanied by a Probate Case Cover Sheet and Certificate of Grounds for Assignment to District, form PRO 010. Under Rule 4.4, "Probate Notes" are posted on the court's website in advance of a hearing, and items under "Matters To Clear" must be cleared by filing documents by the third court day before the hearing. If they are not timely cleared, the rule says the court will continue the hearing, place the matter off calendar, deny it without prejudice or take other action it deems necessary (LASC Local Rules, Chapter 4). That applies to a confirmation hearing too, and the estate's attorney handles it.

Sometimes. These are three different legal procedures, each with its own form, timing and eligibility rules; they are not interchangeable ways to transfer a house. The limits depend on the date of death, and a value under a limit does not, on its own, make the estate eligible.

Limits last verified Oct 24, 2026 against Judicial Council form DE-300 (Rev. Apr 28, 2025); the next adjustment is Apr 1, 2028.

The §13151 petition deserves a closer look. As amended by AB 2016 (effective January 1, 2025), it covers real property that was the decedent's primary residence in California when its gross value does not exceed the limit, and the petition can be filed once 40 days have passed since the death. Section 13152(f) ties the limit to the date of death: $750,000 for deaths from April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028, and the published adjusted amount ($184,500 on form DE-300) for deaths from April 1, 2022 through March 31, 2025. The petitioner must deliver notice of the petition to each heir and devisee named in it within five business days of filing. Whether any of these paths fits, and how other property is counted, is a decision for the estate's attorney.

Full authority lets the personal representative sell real property without court confirmation; limited authority does not.

Under Probate Code §10501(b), a representative with only limited authority must obtain court supervision to sell real property. Under §10503, subject to the limits of the independent administration rules, when a representative sells under that authority the requirements for court confirmation of real property sales do not apply. The section lists publication of notice of sale, court approval of agents' and brokers' commissions and the 90% minimum price among them.

Full authority still carries a notice step. The Notice of Proposed Action must state the material terms of a real property sale, including, if applicable, the sale price and the amount of any agent or broker commission, or how it is calculated (§10585). Except as provided in §§10582 and 10583, it goes to each known heir and devisee whose interest would be affected, and to anyone who has filed a request for special notice (§10581). It must be delivered not less than 15 days before the date in the notice on or after which the action is to be taken (§10586).

Authority to sell is not authority to distribute. Even a representative with full authority needs court supervision for preliminary and final distributions of estate property (§10501(a)(4)). Sale proceeds therefore stay in the estate until the court orders their distribution.

Under full authority the Code uses notice and objection rather than a consent requirement: a person entitled to notice can object in writing, and after an objection the sale can go ahead only under court supervision.

Under §10587, a person entitled to notice objects by delivering a written objection to the personal representative at the address in the notice, before the later of the date in the notice or the date the action is actually taken. If the personal representative has notice of a written objection, §10589(a) requires them, if they still want to take the action, to proceed under the court-supervision rules for that kind of action. Under limited authority, a real property sale already requires court supervision (§10501(b)). Questions about consent, waivers or a disputed heir belong with the estate's probate attorney. See also what happens when siblings disagree about selling an inherited house.

In a confirmed sale, the court reviews the accepted offer at a hearing, checks it against a recent appraisal and must accept a qualifying higher written offer made at the hearing, unless it decides to order a new sale.

Two numbers govern the hearing:

• The 90% floor (§10309). Except as provided in §10207, a private sale of real property is confirmed only if the property was appraised within one year before the confirmation hearing, the appraisal's valuation date is also within that year, and the offer is at least 90% of the appraised value. On a home appraised at $1,800,000, that floor is $1,620,000.
• The overbid minimum (§10311). Section 10311(a)(1) sets the minimum for a higher offer at the hearing: "The offer is for an amount at least 10 percent more on the first ten thousand dollars ($10,000) of the original bid and 5 percent more on the amount of the original bid in excess of ten thousand dollars ($10,000)." The offer must also be made by a responsible person and comply with all provisions of law. The court determines the amounts without regard to any agent's or broker's commission (§10311(e)), and it may, in its discretion, decline to accept the higher offer and order a new sale (§10311(c)).

Illustrative overbid minimums (not a prediction of any sale):

Illustrative only: calculated from §10311(a)(1), using the accepted bid as the original bid. Meeting the minimum does not assure acceptance; under §10311(c) the court may, in its discretion, decline to accept the higher offer and order a new sale. The estate's attorney confirms the requirements and hearing procedure for the specific sale.

Hearing dates are set by the court, so this page gives no week count for confirmation.

It depends on whether a child will make the home their principal residence, how the heirs share ownership and what the estate needs; Prop 19's parent-child exclusion applies only when the home becomes the child's principal residence and the filings are made on time.

Last verified Oct 24, 2026 against BOE's Prop 19 page; the $1,044,586 amount covers transfers through Feb 15, 2027.

BOE explains that Prop 19 limits the parent-child exclusion to a family home that is the principal residence of the parent and becomes the principal residence of the child (or a family farm), so a rental home does not qualify. The value limit is the parent's factored base year value plus $1,044,586 for transfers from February 16, 2025 through February 15, 2027; if market value exceeds that limit, the excess is added to the factored base year value. At least one eligible child must continually live in the home to keep the exclusion; once it stops being their principal residence, it gets a new taxable value as of the next lien date. BOE also states that the date of death is the date of change in ownership (BOE Prop 19).

Run a keep-or-sell decision past the estate's CPA or attorney; BOE itself encourages consulting an attorney for advice specific to your situation. More on this in how Prop 19 affects selling or inheriting a home.

Two kinds of debt are handled differently: liens recorded against the house, and creditor claims against the estate.

• Recorded liens on the property, such as a mortgage, show on the title report. In a sale, escrow typically requests payoff demands and pays them from the sale price before the estate receives the net proceeds.
• Creditor claims against the estate are filed in the probate case. For those claims, the Code sets the deadline at the later of four months after letters are first issued to a general personal representative or 60 days after notice of administration is mailed or personally delivered to the creditor (§9100). How claims are handled, including any by a lender secured by the house, how debts are prioritized and whether a sale should wait on the claim period are questions for the estate's attorney. If the loan is a reverse mortgage, see how heirs sell a house with a reverse mortgage. At recording, the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder collects the documentary transfer tax at $0.55 per $500 of value ($1.10 per $1,000). Pasadena is not one of the five cities the Registrar-Recorder lists with an additional city rate (lavote.gov).

Beyond the Presale Certificate, two more rules shape an estate sale here: design review in landmark districts, and a temporary state limit on unsolicited offers in several Pasadena ZIP codes.

• Landmark districts. The City states that landmark district designation "does not affect the use or sale of the property." Demolitions, exterior alterations visible from the street and new construction need a Certificate of Appropriateness before a building permit is issued. The City lists exterior work not visible from the street, interior alterations, paint colors, landscaping, solar panels and routine maintenance as exempt from review (City of Pasadena). Before the estate authorizes exterior work, check that specific parcel's status with the City.
• Unsolicited offers after the January 2025 fires.

> Temporary law, scheduled to be repealed January 1, 2027. Civil Code §2079.26 repeals itself on that date by its own terms. Last verified Oct 24, 2026 against the official text.

Civil Code §2079.26 says a person shall not make an unsolicited offer to purchase residential property in listed ZIP codes, including 91103, 91104, 91106 and 91107. An offer is not "unsolicited" when there is a public indication the owner is willing to sell, such as an MLS listing or a for-sale sign. Before title transfers, the buyer and seller must sign a written attestation that the purchase agreement was not the result of an unsolicited offer in violation of the section, and a seller may cancel a purchase agreement entered into in violation until four months after it is signed. The section is repealed on January 1, 2027 (leginfo). If the estate is receiving cold offers, show them to the attorney.

Nearby estates follow the same Stanley Mosk filing rule, but each city has its own local layer. See selling a probate home in Altadena, selling a probate home in South Pasadena, selling a probate home in San Marino, selling a probate home in Highland Park, the county-wide note on how a probate home sale works in LA County, and the guide to selling a home in Pasadena.

There is no fixed number for the sale itself. The 9–18 months the courts' self-help page gives is for the whole formal probate case, not the property sale: "The entire process typically takes 9 to 18 months and can sometimes take even longer" (self-help guide).

The steps that set the pace are fixed in the Code, but their dates are not. They are:

• when letters issue
• which authority the court grants
• the 15-day notice period under full authority
• under limited authority, when the confirmation hearing falls on the court's calendar
• escrow items like the Presale Certificate and lender payoffs

Until it is sold or distributed while the estate is open; the Code sets reporting deadlines rather than a fixed number of months.

Under §12200, the personal representative must either petition for final distribution or file a report of status of administration within one year after letters issue, or within 18 months if a federal estate tax return is required. The house can be sold before then, once the representative has authority and follows the right procedure. The proceeds then stay in the estate until the court orders a distribution.

It means the seller is the estate, acting through a court-appointed personal representative, and the sale may need court confirmation before it can close.

With limited authority, a buyer's accepted offer goes to a confirmation hearing, where another bidder can make a higher offer of at least the §10311 minimum. With full authority, the action can't be taken before the date in the Notice of Proposed Action, at least 15 days after delivery. For buyers, the practical points are timing and certainty. Their agent should confirm which route the estate is on.

No statute in this guide requires one; the choice is the personal representative's, made with the estate's attorney.

The Code does address agent pay. A Notice of Proposed Action must state the commission or how it is calculated (§10585), and §10503 lists court approval of agents' and brokers' commissions among the confirmation requirements that do not apply under independent authority. The amount or rate of real estate commissions is not fixed by law. They are set by each broker individually and may be negotiable between the seller and broker.

I have worked in real estate since 1990. I have more than 155 closed sales and am a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame. In a probate listing, my role is the property side: pricing against the appraisal, preparing the house, marketing, handling the Presale Certificate application, assembling the property and offer documents the estate's attorney asks for, whether the sale goes by notice or to a confirmation hearing, and coordinating with that attorney, who makes the legal calls and whose filings decide the legal outcome. See how I help with probate and inherited home sales, selling an inherited house in Pasadena, and, if the home is in a living trust, how to sell a house in a trust after a parent dies.

Selling a Pasadena home through probate? A personal property review is free, you are not committing to list, and legal decisions stay with your probate attorney.

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Sidney Manzo, CA DRE #01108914 · RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193.

I have worked in real estate since 1990. I have more than 155 closed sales and am a member of the RE/MAX Hall of Fame. I advise on the property side of a probate sale; legal and tax decisions belong to the estate's probate attorney and CPA.