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Pennsylvania Statutes Title 53 P.S. Municipal and Quasi-Municipal Corporations § 3384. Orphans' court relief

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

When, in the opinion of the political subdivision which is the trustee, the continuation of the original use of the particular property held in trust as a public facility is no longer practicable or possible and has ceased to serve the public interest, or where the political subdivision, as trustee for the benefit of the public, is in doubt as to the effectiveness or the validity of an apparent dedication because of the lack of a record of the acceptance of the dedicated land or buildings, the trustee may apply to the orphans' court of the county in which it is located for appropriate relief.  The court may permit the trustee to--

(1) Substitute other lands or property of at least equal size and value held or to be acquired by the political subdivision in exchange for the trust property in order to carry out the trust purposes.

(2) If other property is not available, sell the property and apply the proceeds to carry out the trust purposes.

(3) In the event the original trust purpose is no longer practicable or possible or in the public interest, apply the property or the proceeds therefrom in the case of a sale to a different public purpose.

(4) Relinquish, waive or otherwise quitclaim all right and title of the public in and to such land and buildings as have been apparently dedicated but for which no formal acceptance appears of record:  Provided, only, That the court is satisfied upon hearing the evidence that there is no acceptance by implication arising out of public user or otherwise, the court shall also determine the consideration, if any, to be paid to the political subdivision.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - Pennsylvania Statutes Title 53 P.S. Municipal and Quasi-Municipal Corporations § 3384. Orphans' court relief - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/pa/title-53-ps-municipal-and-quasimunicipal-corporations/pa-st-sect-53-3384/

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