Lancaster County Personal Representative Deed Form

Lancaster County Personal Representative Deed Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Lancaster County Personal Representative Deed Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Lancaster County Completed Example of the Personal Representative Deed Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
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Additional Pennsylvania and Lancaster County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Lancaster County Recorder of Deeds
Lancaster, Pennsylvania 17608-1478
Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm Monday - Friday / Recording until 4:30pm
Phone: (717) 299-8238
Recording Tips for Lancaster County:
- Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
- Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
- Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
- Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
- Ask about accepted payment methods when you call ahead
Cities and Jurisdictions in Lancaster County
Properties in any of these areas use Lancaster County forms:
- Adamstown
- Akron
- Bainbridge
- Bart
- Bausman
- Bird In Hand
- Blue Ball
- Bowmansville
- Brownstown
- Christiana
- Columbia
- Conestoga
- Denver
- Drumore
- East Earl
- East Petersburg
- Elizabethtown
- Elm
- Ephrata
- Gap
- Goodville
- Gordonville
- Holtwood
- Hopeland
- Intercourse
- Kinzers
- Kirkwood
- Lampeter
- Lancaster
- Landisville
- Leola
- Lititz
- Manheim
- Marietta
- Martindale
- Maytown
- Millersville
- Mount Joy
- Mountville
- Narvon
- New Holland
- New Providence
- Paradise
- Peach Bottom
- Penryn
- Pequea
- Quarryville
- Reamstown
- Refton
- Reinholds
- Rheems
- Ronks
- Silver Spring
- Smoketown
- Stevens
- Strasburg
- Talmage
- Terre Hill
- Washington Boro
- West Willow
- Willow Street
- Witmer
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Lancaster County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Lancaster County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Lancaster County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Lancaster County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.
Can I reuse these forms?
Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Lancaster County you only need to order once.
What do I need to use these forms?
The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.
Are there any recurring fees?
No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.
How much does it cost to record in Lancaster County?
Recording fees in Lancaster County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (717) 299-8238 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
Using a Personal Representative's Deed in Pennsylvania
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The information provided in this article is not meant to be exhaustive, and should not take the place of legal advice. We strongly recommend consulting a lawyer when administering an estate, as each situation is unique. Personal representatives have a fiduciary duty to serve in the estate's best interests, and are "personally liable for undue mistakes made in the administration of the decedent's estate" [1].
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When Pennsylvania residents die, their estate is admitted to probate, regardless of whether they left a will. A will is a legal document whereby a person (testator) gives directions for the distribution of personal assets upon death, and identifies who will administer the estate. Probate is the legal process of distributing assets. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, this process, also referred to as estate administration, is governed by Title 20 et seq. of the Pennsylvania Code (Decedents, Estates, and Fiduciaries).
A probate case begins with the Register of Wills for the county where the deceased claimed permanent residence. Those with property situated in two or more counties also require ancillary probate proceedings. The decedent's will, if one exists, is recorded at this time, along with supporting documents (ex. death certificate, affidavit of subscribing or non-subscribing witness, petition for grant of letters). Pennsylvania implements an expedited probate for estates valued under $50,000.
Upon petition for grant of letters, the Register of Wills issues letters of administration or letters testamentary, depending on whether the decedent died testate (with a will) or intestate (without a will). The letters are a document granting formal authority to the fiduciary who will administer the estate, and are filed as part of the probate case. Fiduciaries may also obtain a short certificate from the Register certifying their capacity to administer the decedent's estate.
This fiduciary is known generally as a "personal representative," or more specifically as either an executor (or executrix, if female) or an administrator. The term "executor" is used when the decedent died with a will and named an executor. The term "administrator" is used when (1) the decedent died without a will (2) the decedent died testate but failed to name an executor in the will, or (3) the decedent died with a will and named an executor, but the executor failed or ceased service. In short, an executor is someone designated by will as the personal representative, whereas an administrator is someone appointed by the Register.
All assets owned solely by the decedent must go through probate. Concerning real property, when the decedent vests title as a sole owner or as a tenant in common, the real property will need to go through probate before it can be distributed by the personal representative. Real property vested with rights of survivorship between or among joint tenants or between husband and wife as tenants by the entirety automatically vests in the surviving joint tenant(s) or spouse. Property held in trust may also avoid probate.
The personal representative has several responsibilities as fiduciary, including submitting a comprehensive inventory of the estate, filing a Pennsylvania Inheritance Tax Return, giving notice to beneficiaries, and paying any debts, before any distribution of assets can occur. Depending on the situation, this process may take several months, so seek legal advice to ensure that all requisite steps are met.
When the decedent leaves instructions for the succession of real property, the named beneficiaries in the will are called devisees. When there is no will, Pennsylvania laws of intestacy determine the succession of the decedent's real property, with title flowing to the decedent's heirs at law. Depending on the situation, the personal representative may sell the decedent's real property [2].
In Pennsylvania, both executors and administrators use the personal representative's deed to distribute or sell real property. As with other types of deeds executed by grantors in a representative capacity (such as trustee's deeds), the personal representative's deed in Pennsylvania typically carries a special warranty, covenanting that the grantor will warrant and defend the property against the lawful claims and demands of the grantor or grantors, and all persons claiming or to claim by, through, or under him or them (21 P.S. 6). The special warranty is fitting for grantors who are transferring property indirectly, or on behalf of, an estate, as they may not have comprehensive knowledge of the title's history prior to the decedent's death.
The deed identifies the acting personal representative as either an executor or administrator, as well as the decedent and date of death. In addition to the grantee and vesting information, legal description of the subject property, and title derivation required for documents pertaining to interests in real property, the personal representative's deed cites the date of the testator's will, if any; the date of probate; the county of probate; the file or case number; and the name of the personal representative.
The deed is signed by the acting representative in the presence of a notary public and recorded in the county Register of Deeds in which the subject real property is situated. Additional notices may be required in Pennsylvania concerning coal and mine subsidence, and supporting documents such as a death certificate and a short certificate may be required to verify the personal representative's authority to convey real property.
To formally close probate, the personal representative must file a report of completion with the register of wills.
If administration of estate not complete within two years of the decedent's date of death, the personal representative may have to file a status report with Register of Wills.
See more forms relating to estate administration at http://www.revenue.pa.gov/FormsandPublications/FormsforIndividuals/Pages/Inheritance-Tax.aspx#.WFABK-YrLIU.
Contact a lawyer with questions regarding estate administration and probate in Pennsylvania.
[1] http://www.whiteandwilliams.com/resources-alerts-Personal-Representatives-and-Fiduciaries-Executors-Administrators-and-Trustees-and-Their-Duties.html
[2] http://www.stallardlawoffice.com/single-post/2015/09/19/Posts-on-Pennsylvania-Real-Property-Title-Death-Wills-and-Joint-Ownership
(Pennsylvania PRD Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Important: Your property must be located in Lancaster County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Personal Representative Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Lancaster County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Lancaster County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.
Save Time and Money
Get your Lancaster County Personal Representative Deed form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.
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April 15th, 2023
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June 8th, 2023
Very easy to find forms and good examples for filling out forms!
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April 11th, 2023
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April 22nd, 2020
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chungming a.
March 30th, 2019
easy to use website.
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April 22nd, 2019
Very simple. By creating the deed and filing it myself, I am saving a legal fee of $300!
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July 7th, 2021
The service was excellent. The fee to use Deeds was more than I expected however, but the service was excellent!
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May 1st, 2019
The deed form I downloaded was easy to use and just what i needed.
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Rose H.
March 22nd, 2021
I am so glad I found this resource! As the Executor of a family members estate I wanted to save money by bypassing a lawyer as it seemed pretty straight forward to tranfer a Life Estate to the remainderman. (I had original deeds). But talking with 3 different states and 4 different counties - none of which seemed to need the same documents, I was almost ready to dump this in a lawyer's lap. This resource makes it simple!
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February 9th, 2020
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July 1st, 2021
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October 3rd, 2024
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February 2nd, 2021
This was the quickest NOC recording i have ever done. I will definitely be using deeds.com from here on out for recordings!
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Gary M.
April 18th, 2020
Death of JT form was excellent. You have the best documents out there. I wish I could have read the sample just so I knew my information was entered correctly. Real problem is County wants a bar code on documents to get recorded. Now? Need four deed forms so the expense starts to be prohibitive. I would rather pay more and get multiple access.
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Alan K.
May 14th, 2019
The instructions and example for filling out the form were very clear and detailed making the whole process fairly easy. An attorney I talked to wanted $200 to fill out this simple form. I haven't tried to file it yet but I will let you know if there are any issues. Really a great deal. $20 vs $200.
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