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HRS §560:3-910

Protection for buyers and lenders from estate property

This section protects people who buy or lend money on property that was given to someone by an estate. If the property was distributed by the personal representative, the buyer or lender gets clear title and is not liable to the estate or others, even if the distribution was wrong. They do not have to check if the representative acted properly.

beneficiariesbuyerspersonal representatives

The statute, as written — Purchasers from distributees protected

If property distributed in kind or a security interest therein is acquired for value by a purchaser from or lender to a distributee who has received an instrument or deed of distribution from the personal representative, or is so acquired by a purchaser from or lender to a transferee from such distributee, the purchaser or lender takes title free of rights of any interested person in the estate and incurs no personal liability to the estate, or to any interested person, whether or not the distribution was proper or supported by court order or the authority of the personal representative was terminated before execution of the instrument or deed. This section protects a purchaser from or lender to a distributee who, as personal representative, has executed a deed of distribution to the distributee's self, as well as a purchaser from or lender to any other distributee or the distributee's transferee. To be protected under this provision, a purchaser or lender need not inquire whether a personal representative acted properly in making the distribution in kind, even if the personal representative and the distributee are the same person, or whether the authority of the personal representative had terminated before the distribution. Any recorded instrument described in this section on which a state documentary fee is noted pursuant to chapter 247 shall be prima facie evidence that such transfer was made for value.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.