Pittsburgh woman's dying wish to donate house left unfulfilled

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Neighbors who live along one Squirrel Hill street want answers. But more importantly, they hope someone will grant their neighbor's one dying wish. 

They reached out to KDKA Investigates after the woman's now abandoned home sprang a leak.

It's a nice home that's deteriorated into a safety concern for neighbors. And it raises the question: what happens when you die and no one steps in?

The home on the corner of Melvin Street in Squirrel Hill belonged to Francine George.  

"She was a very sweet lady, she had one son who she adored," said neighbor Donna Lambie.

Lambie has lived across the street for 40 years and watched as tragedy hit. First George's husband died suddenly, and then her only son. When George died, all the neighbors knew one thing: she wanted to donate her home to Make-A-Wish.

"She wanted it to go to something that would help children, and it looks like she's not going to get her wish," Lambie said.

George died last winter. Her front porch is now covered in shutoff notices. The yard's overgrown. Ilene Scoratow got involved when a pipe burst inside the home, flooding a corner.

"It started leaking out of the walls, water and several neighbors, at least six that I know of, called the water company and told them there's water running out of the windows," Scoratow said. 

Since no one's got a key, PWSA had to dig up the front yard to shut the water off and posted signs to keep people away. 

Scoratow's worried about kids playing near here, especially with a wall that's leaning. 

"She was kind and left her property to a charity that unfortunately does not accept properties and so we're trying to figure out who is responsible now currently for this property," Scoratow said.  

KDKA-TV reached out to Make-A-Wish and learned it does not accept real estate donations, no matter what a person's will says. Neighbors believed George had a will, but no one had a copy.

KDKA Investigates tracked down the attorney who drafted it -- Michael Marks -- and found out she named her son first, then a "designee of Make-A-Wish."

Since her son died and Make-A-Wish won't accept it, KDKA-TV turned to an expert, estate planning attorney Ashley Sharek, for the next steps. 

"Basically the default under Pennsylvania law is, we find some long-lost distant relative, and they're now the heir, because they're a blood relative," Sharek said.

George's obituary lists one living relative, a brother.

KDKA-TV called the funeral home that handled her services and was told George's brother did indeed make the arrangements. However, KDKA-TV's calls to him went unanswered. 

"I feel really bad because it feels like something that didn't need to happen," Lambie said.

KDKA Investigates continued talks with George's original attorney at Mark's Elder Law and after explaining the issue, he graciously offered to become the executor of George's will.

Make-A-Wish said it's willing to make this happen. Sharek calls it the best case scenario. 

"The will has to exist for it to go to the charity. So if those two pieces are there, I mean, there is a process for that house to be sold, and the funds to go to Make-A-Wish which sounds like is what her wishes were," Sharek said.

Sharek says this is a reminder for all of us to do two things: always name a back-up person and, "It's probably good to have an executor that's a generation younger than you. So whether that's a niece or nephew, a child, a grandchild -- somebody who's younger, who could step into that role." 

Neighbors feel relieved to know George could get her wish after all.  

"Her intentions were the best and I think it would make her very upset to know that not only has her house not gone to the charity that she wanted it to go to, but that it's become a nuisance for the neighborhood," Scoratow said. 

KDKA-TV alerted the city of Pittsburgh and the inspectors who go out and check properties. They're going to check it out for safety purposes in the meantime. 

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