The person appointed as the representative of the estate when there is no will or if the executor cannot serve?

• A. Executor
• B. Testator
• C. Administrator
• D. Heir

Answer: (C)

When there is no will or the person named to handle the estate cannot serve, a court appoints an administrator to represent the estate. This administrator steps in to gather assets, pay debts and taxes, protect property, and eventually distribute what remains according to state intestacy laws (if there is no will) or under court supervision if there is a will but no executor able to serve. The role is specifically a court-appointed substitute for the executor in those situations.

An executor is the person named in a will to administer the estate and carry out its terms, so this option only applies when there is a valid will and the named person can serve. The testator is the person who creates the will (normally the deceased). An heir is someone who stands to inherit under state law or the will, not the person who administers the estate.