What happens to a pending estate property sale if one of several named executors is unavailable or unwilling to act?

A sale isn't necessarily frozen just because one of several named estate trustees can't or won't act, but formal steps generally need to be taken to establish clearly who actually has authority before closing can proceed. Where a named trustee is unwilling to act at all, they can typically renounce their role formally, allowing the remaining named trustees to apply for and receive the Certificate of Appointment without them, so the sale can move forward with the willing trustees in charge.

Where a trustee is simply unavailable, rather than formally unwilling, such as being unreachable or incapacitated, the situation is often more complicated, since the remaining trustees may need to apply to the court to be permitted to act without that person, or to have them formally passed over, rather than simply proceeding as though that trustee doesn't exist. Buyers' and lenders' lawyers will generally want to see clear documentation showing exactly who has authority to sign closing documents, so an unresolved gap here can genuinely delay a closing. Anyone administering an estate facing this situation should get legal advice promptly on the appropriate way to formalize the remaining trustees' authority, rather than proceeding informally.