To be recognized as the estate administrator, you must file the petition for grant of letters of administration with the Register of Wills. Dying without a will is known as dying intestate.For an intestate estate, a person must formally file a petition for the grant of Letters of Administration. What if I know there is no will? If you die without a will in Pennsylvania, your assets will pass to your closet living next of kin pursuant to state "intestate succession" laws. When there is no Will, Pennsylvania intestacy law determines to whom property passes and who will serve as the administrator.