MARVIN MANDEL, Governor                            61

7-603. Expenses of estate litigation.

When any personal representative or person nominated as per-
sonal representative defends or prosecutes any proceeding in good
faith and with just cause, whether successful or not, he shall be en-
titled to receive from the estate his necessary expenses and disburse-
ments.

SUBTITLE VIII
CREDITORS' CLAIMS

8-101. Claim not paid in normal course of administration.

No proceeding to enforce a claim against a decedent's estate may
be revived or commenced before the appointment of a personal
representative. After appointment, and until the estate is closed,
the procedures prescribed by Section 8-104 shall be followed. After
the estate is closed, a creditor whose claim has not been barred may
recover directly from the persons to whom property has been dis-
tributed as provided in Section 10 103 10-102, or from a former per-
sonal representative individually as provided in Section 10 104 10-103.

8-102. Effect of statute of limitations.

No claim which was barred by any statute of limitations at the
time of the decedent's death shall be allowed or paid. Subject to
Section 8-103(a), any period of limitations which would terminate,
except for the decedent's death, during the four SIX months period
following the decedent's death DATE OF THE FIRST PUBLISHED
NOTICE TO CREDITORS shall automatically be extended for an
additional four SIX months after its original termination date.

8-103. Limitation on presentation of claim.

(a)    Requirement of presentation; time; limitation. Except as
otherwise expressly provided by statute with respect to claims of the
United States and the State of Maryland, all claims against a deced-
ent's estate, whether due or to become due, absolute or contingent,
liquidated or unliquidated, founded on contract, tort, or other legal
basis, shall be forever barred against the estate, the personal repre-
sentative, and the heirs and legatees, unless presented within four SIX
months after the date of the first published notice to creditors, or if
notice to creditors has not been published, within the expiration of the
period of limitations otherwise applicable. A claim for slander against
a decedent's estate, which arose before the death of the decedent,
shall be barred unless an action was commenced against and service
of process was effected on the decedent before his death. A claim
against the estate based on the conduct of or a contract with the
personal representative shall be barred unless an action is commenced
against the estate within six (6) months of the date the claim arose.

(b)    Liens not affected. Nothing in this Section shall affect or
prevent any action or proceeding to enforce any mortgage, pledge,
judgment or other lien, or security interest upon property of the
estate.

(c)  &nb