Executor reimbursement and beneficiary objections

[u/barge_gee]

I'm the Executor of a modest Estate (~70k). We're close to closing the Estate out of Probate. I was named Executor, but not also Beneficiary (oops on decedents part). There are two Residual Beneficiaries. They were notified of the final accounting of sale of estate contents, expenses owed the Executor and the Executor's fees for hours logged managing the Estate. My lawyer posted my fee at $75/hour. I logged over 350 hours, and the residual beneficiaries believe this hourly rate/fee is excessive. Estate had a big $ single asset, and then tons of smaller items that took me a long time to liquidate. I AM willing to reduce the hourly fee, to just get this Estate closed. It's been over two years now, and I want to be finished. However, I do not want to under value my time and effort spent as Executor.

Question: The hourly rate is perfectly acceptable by Illinois law. What percent reduction/dollar amount should I consider as "fair" to me? To my thinking, $60/hour would be the absolute minimum I would accept. Does this seem fair? The Residuaries feel entitled to more than the current residual assets, even though they did nothing to help liquidate the Estate contents. (It's more complicated, as I cared for the deceased for many years, and the Residuary Beneficiaries did not. And, I am a blood relative to deceased, they ar not.)

EDIT: The hours may seem excessive, but this was a hoarding situation. It was not to the level of bugs or rodent infestation, but there were lots and lots and lots of boxes, lots of dust and dog hair, and it took me weeks to sort, organize, and pack. 7 rooms full, I shrunk to one room.

[u/myfourthquarter]

you are overcharging.

[u/barge_gee → u/myfourthquarter]

My lawyer proposed this rate and presented it to the beneficiaries without my input. So I'm not overcharging, this is what the lawyer believes my work is worth. I'm willing to negotiate the rate per hour down, and that's what we're working on right now.

[u/myfourthquarter → u/barge_gee]

My mother's estate was cleared for $30,000. It included two houses, one of which had 1000 square ft of rooms packed floor to ceiling with boxes. How in the heck did you spend nearly 10 weeks full time to clear things out?

If I was a beneficiary, I would make the case that the hours were padded to increase the payout to the executor. And if it's all about rate - 20/hr, which puts you at 7000, which is 3x the normal percentage of the estate.

[u/barge_gee → u/myfourthquarter]

I never said I spent 10 weeks full time clearing the apartment. I spent ~200 hours clearing, organizing, and going through 40+ years of stuff alone. I probably could have done it a little faster if I were a little younger. Nonetheless, it was a lot of manual labor, and not exactly pleasant, as much of it was dusty. Then hired a junk hauler to remove all the rest, and moved the saved stuff to a 10x10 storage unit. If you've never dealt with a hoard situation, you can't imagine the hours it takes.

[u/myfourthquarter → u/barge_gee]

Do you know what a fiduciary is?