Commissioner of Accounts

 

WHAT IS THE COMMISSIONER’S OFFICE AND WHAT DO WE DO?

The Commissioner of Accounts for the County of Henrico is appointed by, and serves at the pleasure of, the Judges of the Henrico Circuit Court, and is charged with the responsibility of supervising the timely and proper filing of fiduciary inventories and accounts by administrators and executors of decedent’s estates, trustees of testamentary trusts, trustees of trusts for minors, guardians of the property of minors, conservators/trustees for incapacitated adults, and foreclosure trustees.

Specifically, the Commissioner’s office audits and approves (or disapproves) inventories, and audits and approves (or disapproves) accounts required of the various fiduciaries. The Commissioner has the statutory obligation to enforce the timely filing of the required documents and the authority to issue a summons, subpoena duces tecum, or request a Show Cause Order from the Court to insure that all fiduciary obligations are satisfied.(64.2-1203, Code of Virginia).

The Commissioner’s office is not an office of Henrico County or the Henrico Circuit Court, but is a private law office operated by the Commissioner under the Court’s supervision. The Office consists of eight full time employees, including four auditors, three administrative assistants and the Commissioner, who by law is required to be a licensed Virginia attorney. The staff is well trained and experienced in the administration of all types of estates and is familiar with the obligations of fiduciaries to the Court in the administration of each particular estate.

The Commissioner is directly accountable to the Judges of the Circuit Court and is under the general supervision, oversight and subject to the established practices of The Standing Committee on Commissioners of Accounts, a committee established by the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court of Virginia. The Standing Committee establishes procedures for commissioners to promote statewide uniformity in the supervision of fiduciaries, publishes the Manual for Commissioners of Accounts, reviews the Uniform Fiduciary Compensation Schedule and reviews and makes recommendations to the Judicial Council and Virginia Supreme Court for the Uniform Fee Schedule for Commissioners of Accounts. That schedule is ultimately adopted and or modified by the individual circuit courts for each city or county. Commissioners do not set their fees, but apply the Uniform Fee Schedule set by each respective Court.

The Office of the Henrico County Commissioner of Accounts has for a number of years been operated as an office dedicated solely to the proper administration of the various estates over which it has supervision jurisdiction in Henrico County. The Henrico Commissioner does not practice law in addition to his duties as the Commissioner of Accounts as occurs in many jurisdictions. We believe this full time commitment provides a valuable resource to the fiduciaries qualifying in Henrico County by assisting and directing fiduciaries in the proper completion of their fiduciary duties to the Commissioner’s office and to the Court. The use of this website will assist you in fulfilling your duties successfully.