The Westmoreland County Courthouse office where wills are filed and marriage license applications are processed will limit access starting Sept. 25 to account for staff shortages.
Register of Wills Sherry Magretti Hamilton said appointments will be required to conduct routine business in the third-floor office that oversees orphans court records, wills, estates and marriage licenses.
“We’ve had several people retire, and several more are out on personal and medical leaves. It’s been everything at once, so we decided to go to appointment only,” Hamilton said. “It’s not ideal, but until we can staff up we have to do this.”
Hamilton said the office is operating with six full-time clerks and has seven open positions. Attempts over the past several months to fill those jobs have been unsuccessful, she said.
An appointment-only system was implemented during the early months of the coronavirus pandemic, but the office returned to normal operations in 2021. The Register of Wills office this spring revised its hours to close daily over the noon lunch hour.
Hamilton said she expects the appointment-only system to be temporary.
“Business in 2023 is busier than it’s ever been before. This is the perfect storm. Staff is less and business is booming,” Hamilton said.
Appointments can be set by calling the office at 724-830-3177 or by email at row@co.westmoreland.pa.us.
Greensburg attorney Ken Burkley, whose primary law practice focuses on wills and estates, said he was stunned by the decision to limit access.
“All of this sounds very disappointing to me as an attorney who regularly uses that office. It just doesn’t sound like a public elective office that is truly open to the public,” Burkley said.
As an elected office holder, Hamilton has the sole discretion for operating her office, said Westmoreland County Commissioner Sean Kertes. He said the county has offered to assist in keeping the register of wills operations fully open to the public.
“She’s independently elected, but these offices should be open to the public,” Kertes said.
Westmoreland Commissioner Ted Kopas was more blunt with his criticism of Hamilton.
“We have staff shortages in every office, none of which has limited hours. It should be open. This is in a way a slap in the face to taxpayers and anyone who is in need of services from this office,” Kopas said. “There has to be a better way to manage this operation.”
