Levittown, PA asked in Real Estate Law and Tax Law for Pennsylvania

Q: How do you sell a house after the person passed away? What would those named executors have to do to sell the property?

Woman passed away, leaving an UN-NOTARIZED will to her 3 sons - naming 2 of the 3 executors. There is a house to sell. What needs to be done to sell the house? Can the two executors sell it?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Steven J. Fromm
Steven J. Fromm
Answered
  • Tax Law Lawyer
  • Philadelphia, PA
  • Licensed in Pennsylvania

A: The first step is to probate the will at the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent lived at the time of death. Once letters testamentary and short certificates are obtained, then the executors have the authority to sell the house.

Right now there are special procedures that vary depending on the county for getting a will probated. You should probably retain an estates attorney to help you with the estate administration. There are many steps involved in the probate process that non-attorneys may not be aware of, so it may make good sense to get estate counsel.

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