A Transfer to the Personal Representative as Executor or Administrator (Form LRA 39) is an official document used in Kenya to transfer land ownership from a deceased person's estate to the appointed personal representative for administration purposes. This jurisdiction-specific form is prescribed under the Land Registration Act and the Land Registration (General) Regulations, 2017, specifically Rule 56(1). It enables executors or administrators to be registered as proprietors in their representative capacity, allowing them to manage and distribute estate property legally.
This form is intended for executors named in wills, court-appointed administrators, estate representatives, trustees, and their legal advisors who need to transfer deceased person's property into their official capacity for estate administration. This transfer is typically the first step in estate settlement, moving property from the deceased's name to the personal representative who will then distribute it to beneficiaries or sell it to settle debts. Unlike transfers to heirs, this form puts property in the representative's name "as executor" or "as administrator," not as beneficial owner.
The form requires the title number, date of transfer, names of the transferor(s) listed as "personal representative(s) of the Estate of [deceased's name]," and names of the transferee(s) also as "personal representative(s) of the Estate of [deceased's name]." This may seem circular, but it reflects the legal transition from the deceased's estate to the representative's official control. The date of Letters of Administration or Grant of Probate must be provided—these court documents prove the representative's legal authority to act. The nature of interest being transferred must be specified.
The personal representative(s) must execute the transfer with colored photographs, identification or passport numbers, PIN numbers, and signatures verified by certifying officers. Once registered and sealed by the Land Registrar, the property is officially under the personal representative's control, enabling them to complete estate administration, settle debts, and ultimately distribute or transfer property to beneficiaries within Kenya's land registration and succession framework.