Everything you need to know about Minnesota Form PRO201, including helpful tips, fast facts & deadlines, how to fill it out, where to submit it and other related MN probate forms.
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There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.
Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate) is a commonly used form within Minnesota. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:
Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate):
Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Minnesota’s Form PRO201 - Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.
Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Minnesota probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.
Fill out all relevant fields in Form PRO201, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in MN are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!
Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form PRO201 online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).
Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.
This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.
It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.
Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?
Join all the other families who have trusted Atticus through probate, and experience the peace that comes from knowing you're taking the right steps, spending the least amount of money, and not wasting a single second.
Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.
While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.
Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Minnesota.
If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Minnesota probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Minnesota probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form PRO201, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.
Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.
It may also be available through some Minnesota probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Minnesota.
While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form PRO201 - Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate) f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Minnesota probate court office.
Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate) is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Minnesota-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.
What is probate, exactly?
Probate is the government’s way of making sure that when a person dies, the right stuff goes to the right people (including the taxes the government wants).
All of that stuff is collectively known as someone’s “estate”, and it’s the job of the executor or personal representative to fill out all the forms and complete all the required steps to formally dissolve the estate.
To get instant clarity on the entire probate process and get an idea of the steps, timeline, and best practices, read the Atticus Beginner’s Guide to Probate.
Where can I get help with Probate?
The best place? Create an account in Atticus to start getting estate-specific advice.
You may need a lawyer, you may not, and paying for one when you didn’t need it really hurts. Atticus makes sure you make the best decisions (plus you can write it off as an executor expense).
We’ve also created a list of other probate services. Be sure to check it out!
What does a MN executor or personal representative have to do?
An executor is named in someone’s will, and if the deceased didn’t have a will, then the spouse or other close family relative usually steps up to fulfill the role. If no one wants to do it, then a judge will appoint someone.
The executor is responsible for the complete management of the probate process, including major responsibilities such as:
And much more. This process often stretches longer than a year.
For an idea of what separates executors who succeed from those who make this way harder than it should be, visit our article, Executors of an Estate:
What they do & secrets to succeeding.
Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Minnesota Form PRO201 - Instructions – Affidavit For Collection Of Personal Property (Small Estate - No Real Estate). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.
PRO201 State ENG Rev 8/16 www.mncourts.gov/forms Page 1 of 1 INSTRUCTIONS FOR AFFIDAVIT FOR COLLECTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY FORM (Small Estate – No Real Estate) Minnesota Statutes § 524.3-1201 USE THIS FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS ONLY IF THE FOLLOWING FACTORS APPLY TO YOUR SITUATION:  You are a blood relative to the person who died or you have a legal interest in the person’s property.  The person only had a small and modest sum of money or personal property when he/she died.  The person had a will or did not have a will If you are not sure whether this form applies to your situation, see a lawyer for help. WHEN CAN YOU USE AN AFFIDAVIT FOR COLLECTION OF PERSONAL PROPERTY? If the estate of the person who died is small enough, you might not have to file a case in the probate court. Generally, you can complete an affidavit for collection of personal property if: 1. The value of all the property in the estate of the person who died, wherever located, minus the amount of liens and encumbrances on the property, is not greater than $75,000. 2. The property is listed only in the name of person who died. (There is no beneficiary or joint tenant.) 3. There is no real property in the probate estate of the person who died. Real property (land and buildings) requires you to go to probate court to transfer it. 4. 30 days have passed since the person died. 5. You have legal standing to submit an affidavit to persons or businesses who have the property of the person who died, or owe money to the person who died, as follows: a) You are named as recipient of the property in a will of the person who died: b) The person who died had no will, but you are entitled to the property under law. Examples include the following:  You are the spouse of the person who died;  You are a living child of the person who died, and there is no living spouse;  You are the living parent of the person who died, and there are no living children or spouse;  You are a living brother or sister of the person who died, and there are no living children, grandchildren, spouse, or parents.  You are otherwise entitled to property pursuant to the Probate Code. WHAT TO DO AFTER YOU HAVE COMPLETED THE AFFIDAVIT: (NOTE: You must attach a certified copy of the death certificate to the affidavit.) 1. To collect personal property, take the affidavit to the person or business that has the property or owes the debt. (bank, stock company, etc.) 2. To transfer title to a motor vehicle, take the affidavit, with the attached death certificate, to the motor vehicle division. Helpful materials may be found at your public county law library. For a directory, see http://mn.gov/law-library/research-links/county-law-libraries.jsp . For more information, contact your court administrator or call the Minnesota State Law Library at 651-296-2775.
Atticus has probate and estate settlement forms for your State.
