Gov. Josh Shapiro has signed legislation that creates an option for older adults and incapacitated individuals to designate someone to receive notice when their property taxes are delinquent and their property is at risk of a sheriff’s sale.
House Bill 96, now Act 27 of 2026, was sponsored by State Rep. Chris Pielli, D-Chester. The measure passed both the state House and state Senate before receiving the governor’s signature.
“As a former court-appointed guardianship attorney, I saw clients who lost their homes as a result of unpaid property taxes,” Pielli said. “Too often, these were individuals with cognitive impairment or those who were otherwise incapacitated and could not pay tax bills without assistance.”
Pielli noted that some individuals had the financial means to pay property taxes but were too impaired to manage payments independently. “Tragically, these same individuals sometimes had the financial means but were so impaired that they were unable to keep up with payments. It is simply unfair to leave these people to try to pay these bills alone,” he said.
“My bill helps prevent overdue tax payments for those who may be suffering from any number of conditions that hinder their ability to regularly pay bills. I thank my colleagues in both the state House and state Senate for their agreement on this bill,” Pielli added.
