THE PROPERTY
Address and parcel number
Include access arrangements and who will rely on the report.
WEST CHESTER, PA / PROBATE APPRAISALS
An appraisal for the house in probate.
Handling a West Chester estate? We can help document what the house was worth on the date of death. Tell us the address, that date and your filing deadline so we can discuss the appraisal, fee and delivery estimate.
1442 Pottstown Pike
West Chester, PA 19380
THE DATE
Date of death and condition
Keep photographs and records from before repairs or a clean-out.
THE FILING
Instructions and deadline
Bring the attorney's instructions and letters from the Register of Wills.
Does the estate have to hire an appraiser?
Not generally. Pennsylvania requires the personal representative to file a verified inventory showing each asset's fair value on the date of death. Chapter 33 does not require an appraiser; the representative verifies Form RW-09. Pennsylvania real estate is included, with out-of-state real estate listed in a memorandum at the end.
A documented value can help when the house is a major asset. Beneficiaries can object to the inventory, and Pennsylvania Revenue can make its own appraisements. Ask the estate attorney whether a formal appraisal fits the estate.
There is a specific exception: when the $3,500 family exemption is claimed out of real estate, the court appoints two appraisers. Their valuation date is the date the petition for their appointment was presented, rather than the date of death.
Not generally.
How will you appraise a house as it was then?
We first discuss the address, date of death, intended use, report users and deadline. We agree on scope, fee and a delivery estimate before work begins; you arrange access and share the attorney's instructions.
For a retrospective appraisal, we study sales and market conditions around the date of death. Earlier photos, listings, inspection reports and contractor invoices help establish the condition before later repairs or a clean-out. The report states assumptions where evidence leaves gaps.
Before filing, check the report's effective date, intended use and assumptions, and tell us about factual errors. A later sale or beneficiary buyout may need a value for a different date.
We first discuss the address, date of death, intended use, report users and deadline.
Which office handles the estate, and when are filings due?
Chester County's Register of Wills probates wills, appoints estate representatives and receives inheritance tax filings and payments for the Commonwealth. The county says the decedent must have been a legal Chester County resident at death. Estate matters fall within the Orphans' Court Division of the county Court of Common Pleas, the Fifteenth Judicial District.
The inventory is due by the earlier of the representative's account filing or the inheritance tax return's due date, including an extension. An interested person can request an earlier inventory in writing or object to the inventory filed.
The county's estate packet lists three months from death for prepayment earning a 5% tax discount—three months, not 90 days. It lists nine months for the inheritance tax return, or the end of a six-month extension, with two copies of REV-1500 and the inventory submitted to the Register. A Rule 10.6 status report is due two years after death.
Confirm the estate's dates with its attorney. Mention any early-payment goal when you request the appraisal.
Chester County's Register of Wills probates wills, appoints estate representatives and receives inheritance tax filings and payments for the Commonwealth.
Can the same value support both Pennsylvania filings?
The date-of-death value normally appears on both the inventory and Schedule A of the inheritance tax return. Confirm the intended uses before we start.
Revenue's REV-1502 instructions allow a sale price if the house sold within 15 months of death, an appraised value, or the assessed value multiplied by the common level ratio. A sale to a relative or someone connected with administering the estate requires an appraisal or other documentary evidence of fair market value.
County assessment and deed records help identify the property. An assessment or recorded price alone is a starting point to examine, rather than an automatic probate value.
The date-of-death value normally appears on both the inventory and Schedule A of the inheritance tax return.
Is an heir's federal tax basis the same question?
Pennsylvania inheritance tax and federal tax basis are separate questions. There is no federal inheritance tax. An heir's basis generally equals fair market value at death; the federal alternate valuation date applies only through an executor's election on a federal estate tax return. Pennsylvania's return has no alternate valuation date.
Ask the estate attorney or tax adviser which filings and values apply. An appraisal cannot promise how a court, Pennsylvania Revenue or the IRS will treat it.
Pennsylvania inheritance tax and federal tax basis are separate questions.
What will it cost, and how do we get started?
Send the property address, date of death, names of the people who will rely on the report, and filing deadline. Ask for a written scope, fee and delivery estimate for the assignment.
Include the parcel number, letters from the Register, access details and any records of the house's condition. Tell us whether the value is for the inventory, Schedule A or a sale.
Send the property address, date of death, names of the people who will rely on the report, and filing deadline.
Where can I find the official forms and guidance?
Use these references with the estate's attorney to confirm the filing requirements and exceptions.
Estate inventory form (RW-09) →
Use these references with the estate's attorney to confirm the filing requirements and exceptions.
CONTINUE READING
LET’S TALK THROUGH THE PROPERTY
A clear next step starts
with your address.
Tell us why you need the appraisal and when the report is needed. We’ll discuss coverage, timing and a quote.