What can we do in Pennsylvania when father dies and property is kept away from heirs?
Full Question:
Answer:
The answer will depend upon how title to the property is held and how your father's estate was handled.
If your father's property was settled in probate giving property to his wife, she and her heirs would be the owners of all the land and its improvements (things that are attached to the land such as a house). Items of personal property that belonged to your father at the time of his death would also be handled through the probate process. If he had a will, the will would have stated who inherited items such as tools, cars, etc.
If the will stated that only his children would inherit the property, then the children would have the right to collect the items. However, theymay need the assistance of the probate court if they are denied access to the items.
If your father died without a will, the probate court would decide inheritance pursuant to the intestacy laws of Pennsylvania.
http://ftp.resource.org/courts.gov/c/F3/189/189.F3d.377.97-1994.html