Monongalia commission refuses to admit disputed will, keeps administrator in place

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monongalia County Commission voted unanimously Nov. 5 to decline to recognize a will presented for the estate of Mary Anne Harrington and to allow the current sworn administrator, Ronald Harrington, to continue administering the estate as if there were no valid will.

County staff said the will was recorded after an administrator had been sworn and that the document showed what staff described as "writeovers" and whiteout and did not contain the usual witness signatures on one page. Staff advised that admitting the document could raise questions about its validity and suggested the commission preserve the status quo so the estate could be administered while any contested will is resolved in circuit court.

Commissioners moved to keep the administrator in place and to continue administration under intestate procedures, declining to acknowledge the validity of the recorded will. The motion passed with all commissioners voting in favor.

The commission noted that families seeking to establish the will's validity would need to pursue that question through the normal legal process in circuit court. No additional legal orders or distributions were announced at the meeting.