Estates Code § 454.003

Sec. 454.003. CITATION AND SEARCH. (a) If the fact of a person's death must be proved by circumstantial evidence under Section 454.002, at the request of any interested person, the court may order that a citation be issued to the person presumed dead and that the citation be served on the person by publication and posting and by additional methods as directed by the order. (b) After letters testamentary or of administration are issued, the court may also direct: (1) the personal representative to search for the person presumed dead by notifying law enforcement agencies and public welfare agencies in appropriate locations that the person has disappeared; and (2) the applicant to engage the services of an investigative agency to search for the person presumed dead. (c) The expense of a search or notice under this section shall be taxed to the estate as a cost and paid out of the estate property. Added by Acts 2009, 81st Leg., R.S., Ch. 680 (H.B. 2502), Sec. 1, eff. January 1, 2014.