Massachusetts's MPC 854 estate inventory, explained
Massachusetts requires an inventory of the estate on Form MPC 854 within three months of your appointment. Filing it with the court is voluntary for most estates, though you can also mail a copy to interested persons. Here is what the form asks for, part by part, and what must go in it.
Section 1 of 5.What Form MPC 854 is, and who files it
Massachusetts administers estates under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code (Chapter 190B of the General Laws), before the Probate and Family Court in each county. The statute calls the fiduciary the personal representative throughout, whether appointed under a will or without one. Form MPC 854 is the court-promulgated inventory form, and the personal representative prepares it, along with any co-fiduciary.
The inventory, form MPC 854, splits what the decedent owned into two schedules: the Schedule of Personal Property and the Schedule of Real Estate, each ending in a total. The fiduciary, and any co-fiduciary, sign it under the penalties of perjury.
Section 2 of 5.When the inventory is due
Under G.L. c. 190B §3-706(a), within 3 months after appointment the personal representative generally must prepare an inventory of the decedent's property with date-of-death fair market values (and any encumbrances), and either file it with the court or mail a copy to all interested persons whose addresses are reasonably available; confirm the file-vs-mail choice and the exact deadline with your attorney.
Filing the inventory with the court is voluntary for most estates. G.L. c. 190B §3-706(c) lets a personal representative satisfy the inventory duty by mailing a copy to every reasonably locatable interested person instead of filing it. Filing becomes mandatory only alongside a Petition for License to Sell, a Petition for Allowance of Account, or a Petition for Order of Complete Settlement, or when a court orders it.
Section 3 of 5.What goes in it, part by part
The Schedule of Personal Property lists bank accounts, stocks, bonds, cash, vehicles, household goods, and everything else the decedent owned outright at death. Each entry shows a description and its fair market value as of the date of death. The schedule totals at the bottom.
The Schedule of Real Estate shows real property the decedent owned, again at fair market value as of death.
Section 4 of 5.From your records to the MPC 854 form
Recording is free for as long as the estate takes: every receipt and disbursement with date and payee, distributions per beneficiary, and a running balance that checks itself as you go. ExecutorLedger builds Massachusetts court-style documents from those records, an inventory shaped like MPC 854 and an account shaped like MPC 853, ready to transcribe onto the official forms if you end up needing to file. They are not court forms, and the estate's attorney should read them before anything is filed. Usually less than one attorney hour, and typically reimbursable by the estate.
Section 5 of 5.Questions about the Massachusetts inventory
Do I have to file the Massachusetts MPC 854 inventory with the court?
Not usually. G.L. c. 190B §3-706(c) lets you satisfy the duty by mailing a copy to every reasonably locatable interested person instead of filing it. Filing becomes mandatory only alongside a Petition for License to Sell, a Petition for Allowance of Account, or a Petition for Order of Complete Settlement, or when a court orders it.
When is the Massachusetts inventory due?
Generally 3 months after your appointment (G.L. c. 190B §3-706(a)). A successor personal representative gets 3 months from their own appointment instead, and values the estate as of that later date rather than the date of death.
The inventory is the first filing, not the last. The full Massachusetts guide covers the accounting that follows it, every deadline with its statute, what the executor is paid, and how estates close.
This page describes Massachusetts practice as our verified references state it; formats drift and estates differ, and none of this is legal advice. ExecutorLedger produces court-style documents for transcription. They are not official court forms. What your estate must file is a question for its attorney.