The Florida Senate

¹732.402  Exempt property.--

(1)  If a decedent was domiciled in this state at the time of death, the surviving spouse, or, if there is no surviving spouse, the children of the decedent shall have the right to a share of the estate of the decedent as provided in this section, to be designated "exempt property."

(2)  Exempt property shall consist of:

(a)  Household furniture, furnishings, and appliances in the decedent's usual place of abode up to a net value of $10,000 as of the date of death.

(b)  All automobiles held in the decedent's name and regularly used by the decedent or members of the decedent's immediate family as their personal automobiles.

(c)  Florida Prepaid College Program contracts purchased under s. 240.551 and Florida College Savings agreements established under s. 240.553.

(d)  All benefits paid pursuant to s. 112.1915.

(3)  Exempt property shall be exempt from all claims against the estate except perfected security interests thereon.

(4)  Exempt property shall be in addition to protected homestead, statutory entitlements, and property passing under the decedent's will or by intestate succession.

(5)  Property specifically or demonstratively devised by the decedent's will to any devisee shall not be included in exempt property. However, persons to whom property has been specifically or demonstratively devised and who would otherwise be entitled to it as exempt property under this section may have the court determine the property to be exempt from claims, except for perfected security interests thereon, after complying with the provisions of subsection (6).

(6)  Persons entitled to exempt property shall be deemed to have waived their rights under this section unless a petition for determination of exempt property is filed by or on behalf of the persons entitled to the exempt property within 4 months after the date of service of the notice of administration or within 40 days from the date of termination of any proceeding involving the construction, admission to probate, or validity of the will or involving any other matter affecting any part of the estate subject to this section.

(7)  Property determined as exempt under this section shall be excluded from the value of the estate before residuary, intestate, or pretermitted or elective shares are determined.

History.--s. 1, ch. 74-106; s. 19, ch. 75-220; s. 10, ch. 77-87; s. 1, ch. 77-174; s. 1, ch. 81-238; s. 3, ch. 85-79; s. 67, ch. 87-226; s. 51, ch. 98-421; s. 3, ch. 99-220; s. 3, ch. 2001-180; s. 39, ch. 2001-226.

¹Note.--Section 8, ch. 85-79, provides in pertinent part that with respect to s. 3, ch. 85-79, "the substantive rights of all persons which have vested prior to October 1, 1985, shall be determined as provided in s. 732.402, Florida Statutes, 1983."

Note.--Created from former s. 734.08.