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Gupta says, "A legal heir (as per the will) is required to submit an application form for transfer of ownership, copy of will, original property papers, death certificate of the property owner, ID and address proof of the legal heir and deceased property owner."

All deeds are to be signed in front of a Notary Public (just the grantor) and the grantee is to also sign the Certificate of Residency. Afterward, the deed may be filed with the Recorder's Office in the jurisdiction of the property.

In Pennsylvania, real estate cannot be transferred via a TOD deed. Instead, the owner of the property can utilize a will, a living trust, or joint ownership to transfer property upon death. These methods should be discussed with an experienced estate planning attorney to understand their implications fully.

If you are unable to receive a referral to a pro bono attorney to assist you in writing your will, you may be able to legally write one yourself. It is legal to handwrite a will in Pennsylvania. You should include two witness signatures in the written will, as well as your own signature and date.

The PA deed transfer tax is generally about 2% of the final sales price, which consists of two different sets of fees: The state of Pennsylvania charges 1% of the sales price. The locality charges a second fee usually totaling about 1%, which is split between the municipality and school district.

Pennsylvania does not allow transfer-on-death deeds for real estate or vehicles. However, the state does allow registered stocks and bonds to be transferred on death.