The Office of the Curator is the custodian and distributor of
the estates of persons who die intestate. The Office is responsible
for:
- writing to employers of deceased persons for all monies such as
entitlements and pending salaries to be transferred to the
Curator's account;
- following up pending rental payments of concerned estates
to the RONPHOS, the Regional Processing Centre (RPC), Nauru
Utilities Corporation (NUC) and Government of Nauru;
- receiving and keeping payments in the personal estates account
of deceased estates according to Section 11(a) of the Succession
Probate and Administration Act 1976;
- raising payment and sending to concerned beneficiaries bank
accounts after 21 days of gazettal;
- formulate and disseminate Curator notices in accordance with
Section 37 of the Succession Probate and Administration Act 1976;
and
- update the Curator registry.
In carrying out their main functions of distribution from July
2020 to June 2021, the outcome is as follows:
- supervision of payments amounting to AUD84,763.15 were paid
from the estates of deceased persons to beneficiaries. These were
made according to the terms stated in the respective gazette;
- a total of AUD640,118.78 was deposited into the Curator Account
with Bendigo Bank from RONPHOS, Nauru Utilities Corporation, Nauru
Rehabilitation Corporation, Government (for land rentals, land
leases, aerodrome land rentals and final entitlements), Royalties
& Regional Processing Centre Corporation land rentals;
- curator fees totaled a maximum sum of AUD20,000; and
- the Ledger and the Curator PV Registry is up to date on the
records of deposits and withdrawal postings.
Our Team
| Position |
Name |
| Curator of Intestate Estates |
Brenda Soriano |
| Curator Clerical Officer |
Febony Detenamo |
Objective
- Distribute to the concerned beneficiaries all monies,
personalities and realties of the estate of deceased persons
in accordance with the gazette and the law.
Motivation
Without ownership there is no claim.
Strategic Plan Priority Area 4: Cost Cutting
Sectors
Cross-Goal 1
Strengthen Parliament, audit, justice, law, order and border
control.
Achievements
The Office of the Curator has embarked on positive steps to
provide honest and transparent trusteeship to the people of Nauru.
The Curator Work Plan is designed to cover efficiency and
sufficiency for the curator system and capacity building as
follows:
Record keeping and file management
To complement the existence of an estate register, the Office is
looking at formulating a database for sufficient record keeping,
tracking and keeping the estate files and records up to date. This
means that the system will gradually become more computerised to
modernise work methodology in keeping information intact and
accessible.
Expansion
With the recruitment of the Clerical Officer, the Office is now
sufficiently manned ensuring a swift process and system that is
able to accommodate client needs and enquiries.
Capacity Building
Capacity building and community education are two main
components that the Office is focusing on to strengthen the
facilitation services provided and to enable community members who
are estate beneficiaries to ask the right questions when in
doubt.
Accessibility
There are plans to open a savings account for beneficiaries to
estates of deceased persons who are under the age of 18. These
accounts can be accessed once the children have reached the age of
adulthood.
The Curator Work Plan is designed to work in line with the
Department of Justice and Border Control Strategic Plan 2015 -
2025.
Way Forward
There are several estates that are pending payments due to
various reasons such as :
- court injunction in relation to estates that are under dispute
in the courts; and
- overseas payments that are overdue to estates that are yet to
determined by the Nauru Lands Committee and the Court.
The Office will continue to notify the public of relative
updates as well as inform beneficiaries of the legal requirements
that must be expected in such situations.