What documentation is required to prove I'm the next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate in PA?
Pennsylvania: What documentation proves you are next of kin and qualify as administrator in a reopened estate? Short answer: To reopen a Pennsylvania estate and be appointed administrator you will typically need a certified death certificate, documentary proof of your relationship to the decedent (birth, marriage, adoption records, name-change records, or affidavits of heirship), identification […]
Read article →How can I reopen my father's closed estate in Pennsylvania so I can be appointed as administrator?
FAQ: Reopening a Closed Estate in Pennsylvania to Be Appointed Administrator Detailed Answer Short answer: In Pennsylvania you usually must file a petition in the Orphans' Court (the probate court) that handled your father's estate asking the court to reopen the estate and to appoint you as administrator. The court will reopen the estate only […]
Read article →What steps do I need to take when the original estate administrator has died before completing the probate? (PA)
What to do if the original estate administrator died before completing probate in Pennsylvania This FAQ explains the practical steps to take when an appointed personal representative (executor or administrator) dies before finishing probate under Pennsylvania law. It assumes you have limited legal knowledge. This is educational only and not legal advice. For help with […]
Read article →What happens if the survey shows the property was conveyed out of my mother’s estate decades ago and I have no interest? — PA
Detailed answer — what a recorded conveyance decades ago usually means under Pennsylvania law If a recorded survey and deed show that the property was conveyed out of your mother’s estate decades ago, the most likely legal conclusion is that the person or entity named on that deed (and that person’s successors) owns the real […]
Read article →How do I get the probate court’s permission to sell the property when the clerk’s office won’t explain the filing requirements? – PA
Getting Probate Court Permission to Sell Real Property in Pennsylvania When the Clerk’s Office Won’t Explain Filing Requirements Quick answer: In Pennsylvania the person with authority over an estate (the executor or administrator) must ask the Orphans’ Court / Court of Common Pleas for permission to sell estate real estate unless the will or prior […]
Read article →Can I recover personal items heirs removed from the house before I took possession and enforce the court’s order? (PA)
Detailed answer — What Pennsylvania law allows you to do If someone removed personal items from a decedent’s house before you (as the person entitled to possession — for example a personal representative, devisee, or purchaser) took physical control, Pennsylvania law gives several civil remedies you can use to try to recover those items and […]
Read article →What steps do I need to follow as executor to sell real property to pay estate debts? (PA)
How an executor (personal representative) sells real property to pay estate debts in Pennsylvania Quick overview: As the executor (called a personal representative in Pennsylvania), you must confirm your authority, inventory the estate, determine creditor claims, and either use authority in the will or get court permission to sell real property so creditors can be […]
Read article →Can heirs of a deceased sibling be included in a partition action in Pennsylvania (PA)?
Including Heirs of a Deceased Sibling in a Pennsylvania Partition Action — FAQ Detailed answer — can heirs be included, and how? Yes. In Pennsylvania, if your co-owner (a sibling) died owning an interest in property, that deceased sibling’s ownership interest does not disappear. The interest passes to whoever inherits under the decedent’s will or, […]
Read article →What Happens to a Safe Deposit Box After Someone Dies in PA?
Detailed Answer: What happens to a safe deposit box after someone dies in Pennsylvania? When a Pennsylvania resident who rented a safe deposit box dies, the bank typically locks the box and will not permit normal access until the legal ownership or authority to access the box is established. How the contents are handled depends […]
Read article →When Can an Executor Be Removed in Pennsylvania (PA)?
When Can an Executor Be Removed in Pennsylvania? Detailed Answer — How and when a personal representative (executor) may be removed under Pennsylvania law This section explains, in plain language, when a Pennsylvania court can remove an executor (called a personal representative). Pennsylvania handles estate and fiduciary matters through the Court of Common Pleas (Orphans' […]
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