§44-2-24. When claims and legacies may be paid and estate distributed.

After the report of a fiduciary commissioner, if any, on the claims against the estate of any decedent has been confirmed as aforesaid, and after six months from the time of the qualification of the first executor or administrator shall have elapsed, the personal representative may pay the claims allowed by the fiduciary commissioner against the decedent’s estate or certified to him by courts wherein judgments or decrees against the estate have been rendered, according to the order of payment set forth in the fiduciary commissioner’s report, or as directed by the fiduciary commissioner, and pay legacies and distribute the surplus among the parties entitled thereto in the amounts and proportions determined by the fiduciary commissioner withholding such sum as such report as confirmed states to be necessary for the payment of any contingent, unliquidated, or disputed claims, or claims not matured, or the proportions of any such equal to what is allowed to other creditors of the same class, and upon the determination from time to time of any such claims further payments and distributions may be made as the circumstances require. If the personal representative shall fail or refuse to pay claims and make distribution within one month following the time when he may legally do so, and no appeal has been taken from the order of confirmation of the report on claims, any party interested may institute a civil action against such personal representative to compel payment and distribution as provided by section twenty-two, article four of this chapter.