A change to Pennsylvania law will end a decades-old practice of turning over estates of Pennsylvania residents who die without relatives to the state.
Effective on Jan. 23, 2026, Act 50 of 2025 updates Pennsylvania’s Intestate Succession law, so that when someone dies and no heirs can be found, their estate will be placed into an endowed community fund managed by the community foundation in their home county.
According to a news release by the York County Register of Wills & Clerk of Orphans’ Court, the endowed funds will provide permanent, charitable support to local nonprofits and the needs of the community. According to the Pennsylvania Community Foundations Association, each county in Pa., is served by a community foundation with an endowed community fund or by a regional foundation that provides county-specific funds…