Pennsylvania: Can I Recover Mortgage, Property Tax, and Carrying Costs from Sale Proceeds?
How Pennsylvania law treats contributions for mortgage, property taxes, and carrying costs when dividing sale proceeds Detailed Answer Short answer: sometimes. Whether you can deduct or recover the mortgage, property taxes, insurance, and other carrying costs you paid before or during a sale depends on the legal context (marital divorce, co‑ownership between unrelated parties, estate […]
Read article →Using Estate Sale Proceeds to Pay Junk Removal and Cleanup Costs — Pennsylvania
Detailed Answer If you are administering a Pennsylvania estate and need to remove junk or clean out personal property, the money from estate sales can generally be used to pay reasonable estate administration expenses — including removal, cleanup, and preparing property for sale or distribution. The personal representative (executor or administrator) has a duty to […]
Read article →Pennsylvania: How Probate Handles Unauthorized Charges to a Parent's Estate
Understanding Unauthorized Charges in a Parent’s Estate (Pennsylvania) Short answer: If someone (including a personal representative/executor, family member, or caregiver) makes unauthorized charges to your parent’s estate, Pennsylvania’s probate system provides civil and sometimes criminal ways to challenge those charges. You can demand an accounting, file exceptions or a surcharge action in Orphans’ Court, seek […]
Read article →Pennsylvania: Regaining Control of a Deceased Parent’s Bank and Credit Card Accounts
Disclaimer: This is general information, not legal advice. Consult a licensed Pennsylvania attorney for guidance about your situation. Detailed answer — immediate and legal steps to regain control of a deceased person’s bank and credit card accounts in Pennsylvania When a person dies, their financial accounts do not automatically become available for anyone else to […]
Read article →Pennsylvania: How to Secure and Inventory a Deceased Person’s Home Before You Are Appointed Administrator
Can you secure, inventory, and stop family from removing items before you are appointed administrator? Short answer: Yes — you can take practical, legally careful steps to protect the house and its contents while you move to become the estate’s administrator. The safest route is to document everything, limit access, seek temporary court protection if […]
Read article →How to Be Appointed Administrator of an Intestate Estate in Pennsylvania
Short answer If your dad died without a will in Pennsylvania, you can ask the county Register of Wills (or the Orphans' Court in that county) to appoint a personal representative called an "administrator" to open and handle the estate. The process generally requires filing a petition for letters of administration, proving your relationship to […]
Read article →Pennsylvania — Order of Succession Among Children When There Is No Will
How children succeed to an estate in Pennsylvania when there is no will Short answer: If a person dies without a will in Pennsylvania, surviving children inherit the decedent’s estate in equal shares by right of representation. If a child predeceases the decedent, that child’s own descendants (the decedent’s grandchildren) generally take the deceased child’s […]
Read article →Pennsylvania — Late Creditor Claims After the 90‑Day Notice: What Happens?
Detailed Answer This article explains, in plain language, what typically happens in Pennsylvania when a creditor tries to present a claim against an estate after the published 90‑day notice to creditors has run. It covers the basic legal framework, common outcomes, and practical steps for both personal representatives (executors/administrators) and creditors. This is an educational […]
Read article →Claiming Your Share of a Mother's Estate in Pennsylvania When She Died Without a Will
Detailed Answer If your mother died without a will in Pennsylvania, her estate passes under Pennsylvania's intestacy (no‑will) rules. Intestate succession determines who inherits, and the probate process (handled by the Register of Wills and Orphans' Court in the county where she lived) handles administration, creditor claims, and final distribution. Key legal framework: Pennsylvania’s intestate […]
Read article →Pennsylvania: Surviving Spouse Rights When a Spouse Dies Without a Will
Detailed Answer — Surviving Spouse Rights Under Pennsylvania Law Short overview: When someone dies without a will (intestate) in Pennsylvania, state law determines who inherits and who makes decisions for the estate. As a surviving spouse you usually have strong legal rights: (1) a statutory share of the estate, (2) priority to serve as the […]
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