Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania
is their a letter we should be sending the executor of the will inquiring about why an accounting of estate has not been sent when the will has been probated and tax appraisment has been filed?
1 Answer from Attorneys
I am not aware of any specific form. I don't know any of the details about your situation - such as who died, how long the estate has been pending, where the estate is pending or when the approval was given.
What you need to do first is contact the Orphan's Court where the estate is pending and get a copy of the will, inventory and any other relevant documents. That may explain why there is a delay.
If not, then does the executor have an attorney for the estate? If you are a designated beneficiary, then you may want to write a letter to the estate attorney, or if none, the executor and explain that tax approval has been given (not just filed the tax authorities have to send out a notice of approval and they are often slow) and ask when they anticipate filing the accounting.
If you get no response, you may want to pay a probate attorney in the county where the estate is pending to review the documents and send a letter, if appropriate.
If more than 2 years have passed since the person died and there has still been no accounting, then you will want to talk with the Orphan's Court about compelling an accounting. If this needs to be done, you may wish to hire a probate attorney to do that, especially if a letter from the attorney prompts no action.