PA House passes Rabb, Nelson legislation to help families inheriting properties without a will

Rep. Christopher M. Rabb    July 2, 2024 | 4:45 PM

HARRISBURG, July 2 – The Pennsylvania House of Representatives today passed legislation (H.B. 2232) sponsored by state Reps. Chris Rabb, D-Phila., and Napoleon Nelson, D-Montgomery, that would establish the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act in Pennsylvania.

The legislation would make sure all inheritors are informed when one inheritor wants to sell their share of the property. It would also require the court to appoint a neutral appraiser to determine the property's fair market value. And it would provide other inheritors the right of first refusal to buy the share of the person who wants to sell.

“When a loved one passes, it is utterly heartbreaking and an immense challenge to overcome. When they don’t have an estate plan in place it can lead to some difficult decisions and uncomfortable situations for the person’s heirs,” Rabb said. “This leads to the person’s heirs taking ownership of the property as tenants-in-common -- a form of ownership that frequently leads to heirs losing their land through forced partition sale and to families losing immense inherited wealth to real estate speculators.”

This legislation would provide additional due process protections to prevent Pennsylvanians from the forced sale of inherited property, Rabb said.

This bill will now head to the state Senate for consideration.

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