My uncles will states his caretaker is his trustee. When my uncle dies, does the trustee make decisions?

Question

My uncle has made a neighbor/caretaker trustee. Does this mean when my uncle dies, the trustee takes care of his estate and can legal deny the beneficiary's from accessing my uncles bank accounts and....prevent us from selling my uncles property??

Answer 1

A trustee and the executor of an estate are different, but they do basically the same types of things.

In both cases, the trustee or executor is responsible for making managment decisions and ensuring that the intent of the trust or will is carried out.

For a trustee, the duties continue as long as the trust does, based on the details of when/how/why the trust was created.
For an executor, the duties continue until all property has been distributed according to the will (as determined by the probate court), then the executor's job is done.

Answer 2

The trustee makes all the decisions in the execution of the will but his acts must conform with the provisions of the law. The beneficiaries can access the bank account but cannot sell the property when not approved by the trustee and the court.