Upon the expiration of any judge's term of office, he shall pay to his successor in office, any fees, money, costs, legacies, devises or money due any heir, creditor, or other person, in his possession, which have not been paid to the persons entitled thereto, or applied as provided by law.
§ 25-2716.Unclaimed funds; judge; payment to successor.
Article 27: County Court Rules of Procedure and Probate Practice · Last amended 1972 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceThis section requires an outgoing county judge, at the end of the judge’s term, to turn over to the successor any unpaid fees, costs, legacies, devises, or money due an heir, creditor, or other person that remain unpaid or otherwise unapplied.
Full Text of § 25-2716
Source
Laws 1909, c. 40, § 2, p. 227; R.S.1913, § 1243; Laws 1921, c. 105, § 1, p. 376; C.S.1922, § 1166; C.S.1929, § 27-546; R.S.1943, § 24-552; Laws 1967, c. 139, § 3, p. 426; R.R.S.1943, § 24-552; Laws 1972, LB 1032, § 62; R.S.1943, (1985), § 24-562.
Plain-English Summary
Section 25-2716 closes the loop on unclaimed money passing through the county judge’s hands. Upon the expiration of a judge’s term of office, that judge must pay to his successor any fees, money, costs, legacies, devises, or money due an heir, creditor, or other person that remain in the judge’s possession — money that has not yet been paid to the people entitled to it, or otherwise applied as the law provides.
The section works alongside sections 25-2714 and 25-2715: those sections describe how unclaimed money reaches the county judge and how it gets paid out and recorded once a claimant appears; this section makes sure that money still unclaimed does not get lost in a change of judges, but follows the office to whoever holds it next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to unclaimed court funds when a county judge’s term ends?
The outgoing judge must pay them over to his successor in office.
What kinds of money does this section cover?
Fees, money, costs, legacies, devises, and money due an heir, creditor, or other person that remain in the judge’s possession.
Does this apply only to money that no one has ever claimed?
It applies to money that has not been paid to the persons entitled to it, or otherwise applied as provided by law, regardless of the reason it remains unpaid.
Who receives this money from the outgoing judge?
The judge’s successor in office.
How does this section relate to sections 25-2714 and 25-2715?
Those sections describe how unclaimed legacies, devises, and creditor payments reach the county judge and how they get paid out to claimants and recorded; this section addresses what happens to money still unclaimed when the judge’s term ends.
Source & verification. Section text and the amendment-history citation are
reproduced verbatim from the Nebraska Legislature, Revisor of Statutes, enacted by the
Nebraska Legislature. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: unclaimed court funds and successor judgecounty judge term end money transferunpaid legacy transfer to successor judgeoutgoing judge unclaimed funds nebraskasuccession of court-held money