In Jackson County probate matters, the probate division must issue letters at the required office location and keep the related records there.
*478.473. Letters where granted (Jackson County). — 1. Letters testamentary or of administration on the estates of decedents and letters of guardianship of the person and letters of conservatorship of the estate of minors or disabled and incapacitated persons shall be granted by the probate division of the circuit court of Jackson County, or the division clerk thereof when not in session, at Independence or at Kansas City, as hereinafter provided, and all orders, settlements, trials and other proceedings had therein shall be had, done and kept of record in the office of the clerk where such letters are granted. For the purposes of this section, Jackson County is hereby divided into an "eastern" portion and a "western" portion, as hereinafter described. 2. (1) The "western" portion of Jackson County is described as follows: (2) The "eastern" portion of Jackson County is described as the remainder of Jackson County other than the aforesaid "western" portion. The boundaries as herein established are permanently fixed geographically as of January 2, 1979, and are not to be considered altered by reason of change of name or location of any of the roads or city limits to which reference is made herein. 3. If, at the time of the death of a decedent, or at the time of the filing of a petition for appointment of a guardian for a minor or an incompetent, such decedent or minor or incompetent: (1) Resides in the "eastern" portion, then such letters shall be granted at Independence; (2) Resides in the "western" portion, then such letters shall be granted at Kansas City; (3) Does not reside in Jackson County but is possessed of lands lying in the "eastern" portion (but none in the "western" portion), then such letters shall be granted at Independence; (4) Does not reside in Jackson County but is possessed of lands lying in the "western" portion (but none in the "eastern" portion), then such letters shall be granted at Kansas City. In all other cases, such letters may be granted at either Independence or Kansas City. 4. The probate division of the circuit court of Jackson County shall keep two offices for the transaction of its business, one at Independence and the other at Kansas City. The records relating to cases in the "eastern" portion of Jackson County shall be maintained at Independence and the records relating to cases in the "western" portion of Jackson County shall be maintained at Kansas City, unless a case be transferred. (L. 1978 H.B. 1634, A.L. 1983 S.B. 44 & 45) *Formerly 481.290.