Legal Question in Wills and Trusts in Pennsylvania
Rights of heirs to be informed
My uncle passed away & my aunt is handling the estate. She is not informing any of the heirs of where everything stands. We have caught her in lies about the sale of the house and believe she had sold a piece of property for @least $10,000.00 less then what it worth i don't know what to do. I have contacted the attorney helping her but can't get anything from him except we will recieve a break down of all costs and appraisals when the estate is settled. I want to know what my rights are & if need be can i contest this? Also am I entitled to a copy of the appraisals before the estate is settled?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Rights of heirs to be informed
When the personal representative of an estate begins administration, a notice should be sent to the heirs or beneficiaries under a will, within 10 days after "letters" (legal authorization to act on behalf of the estate) are issued. If any the of the heirs or beneficiaries has an objection to the letters being issued, there is a way to object. After that point, the personal representative is required to provide an accounting, which should give sufficient information to determine that the estate was properly administered.
If no accounting is provided, it is possible to seek to force an accounting. You should consult with an estate administration/probate lawyer in the county where the will was probated for assistance in evaluating whether you should take any such action and if so, when.