Lady Bird Deeds in Pennsylvania
Short answer: no. Pennsylvania does not recognize lady bird deeds, and recording one may not do what you're hoping. Here is what works here instead.
Pennsylvania does not recognize lady bird deeds
Pennsylvania has no statute and no settled practice recognizing them, so what one would do here is uncertain, and title companies may not rely on it. Deedly does not prepare one for Pennsylvania; the alternatives below are the reliable routes.
Why Pennsylvania does not have them
Lady Bird deeds, enhanced life estate deeds, are recognized in 6 states: Florida, Michigan, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia. Maryland's courts also recognize a similar instrument, the life estate deed with powers. Missouri's courts also recognize a similar instrument, the life estate deed with powers. Virginia law also recognizes a similar instrument, the life estate deed with powers. Elsewhere there is no statute or settled practice for the combination of a life estate and an unrestricted power to sell, so how a court or title company would treat one is uncertain.
What Pennsylvania homeowners use instead
There are working alternatives in Pennsylvania:
- Pennsylvania life estate deed. Keeps a life estate for you with the remainder to the people you name. Not revocable.
Other ways to avoid probate in Pennsylvania
- A revocable living trust. The most flexible option and the standard answer in states without a TOD deed. It costs more up front (typically $1,000–$3,000) but it covers everything you own, not just one property.
- Survivorship titling. Pennsylvania recognizes tenancy by the entirety for married couples, which passes the property to the survivor automatically and can protect it from the creditors of only one spouse; how far that protection goes depends on Pennsylvania law.
- Small estate procedure. Pennsylvania's small-estate petition (20 Pa.C.S. § 3102) covers personal property up to $50,000 and cannot transfer real estate, so it is no substitute for planning for the house. The petition is filed with the orphans' court division of the county's Court of Common Pleas.
$49, one time. The probate-avoidance deed Pennsylvania does recognize, with the state's witness rules, margins, and recording instructions already applied. You read the finished document before you pay.
Common questions
A county office might physically accept and index the document, but recording is not the same as validity. With no statute or settled practice behind it in Pennsylvania, there is no assurance a court or title company would give it the effect you intended. Use one of the alternatives above instead.
Florida, Michigan, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, and West Virginia. Maryland's courts also recognize a similar instrument, the life estate deed with powers. Missouri's courts also recognize a similar instrument, the life estate deed with powers. Virginia law also recognizes a similar instrument, the life estate deed with powers.
For a single property, survivorship titling is the cheapest. It costs one deed and one recording fee. For everything else, a revocable living trust is the standard route: more expensive up front, but it covers your whole estate and stays private. A probate attorney in Pennsylvania can tell you which fits your situation in a single consultation.
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Deedly is not a law firm
Its software and documents are not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. We provide self-help software and state-specific deed forms; you make your own decisions about your property. Using Deedly does not create an attorney-client relationship, and nothing here is legal advice. If your situation is complex or contested, talk to a licensed attorney in your state.