New PA Law Lets Seniors Name a Trusted Person to Catch a Missed Property Tax Bill
Act 27 of 2026 lets older and incapacitated Pennsylvanians name someone to get notice if property taxes fall behind, a safeguard against losing a home.
Pennsylvania has a new law on the books that could keep some of our older neighbors from losing their homes over a tax bill they never saw. On July 16, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed House Bill 96, now Act 27 of 2026, into law.
Here is what it does. The law lets older adults and people who are incapacitated designate a trusted person to also receive notice if their property taxes fall behind and the home is at risk of a tax sale. It is an optional, opt-in process. Nothing changes unless a property owner chooses to name someone.
Why does this matter? Because a missed property tax notice can snowball fast. Someone dealing with cognitive decline, a hospital stay, or simply the confusion that can come with age might not open the mail or understand what a delinquency notice means. By the time anyone notices, the home can already be headed toward a sheriff’s sale. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Chris Pielli, worked as a court-appointed guardianship attorney and said he saw exactly that happen to clients who could not manage their bills on their own.
For seniors on fixed incomes across Somerset and Fayette counties, this is a small but real safeguard. If you have an aging parent, a relative living alone, or a neighbor you look after, this is a simple step worth knowing about. Naming a trusted family member or friend to get a copy of that notice could be the difference between catching a problem early and losing a home.
The option is available to eligible property owners under the new law. To set it up, property owners will want to check with their county tax office on how to designate a notice recipient.