In the News
FHLBank Atlanta and the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center, Inc. Host Heirs Property Forum
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) and the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center, Inc., hosted a forum dedicated to improving economic opportunities in diverse communities by addressing the challenges presented by real property classified as “heirs property.” The one-day event took place at FHLBank Atlanta’s offices and was co-sponsored by the Georgia Bankers Association and the Georgia Municipal Association.
MARCH 2020
December 2019
Georgia’s Estimated $34-Plus Billion in Heirs Property Could Ease, Wealth, Housing Gap
In Georgia alone, an estimated $34-plus billion in property has no owner with a clear title. If the value were unlocked, this heirs property could help address the black-white divide in homeownership and issues related to poverty.
A Turning Point for Family Forests
How heirs property reform is empowering Georgia’s landowners.
AUGUST 2019
MAY 2019
Blighted Properties Discussed at Glynn-Brunswick Land Bank Authority Meeting
One of the contributing factors to the problem with abandoned or blighted properties in Brunswick is when the owner dies without a will or has multiple heirs who can’t agree what to do with the property.
GHPLC Discusses the Center and Our Work on Closer Look with Rose Scott on WABE 90.1
Our Chief Operating Officer, Delene Porter, and Legal Programs Director, Joann Johnston, joined Rose Scott on WABE 90.1’s Closer Look. Watch the episode here!
January 2019
GHPLC Discusses Heirs Property on Lewis on the Law Radio Show
Our Legal Programs Director, Joann Johnston and Equal Justice Works Georgia Housing Corps Fellow, Gentry Mander, joined James Lewis on Lewis on the Law’s episode on What is Heirs Property? Watch the episode here!
DECEMBER 2018
August 2018
GHPLC Discusses Heirs Property on Wealth Matters Radio Show
Our Legal Programs Director, Joann Johnston and Board Member, Shunta McBride joined Gaslowitz and Frankel on BusinessX Radio Show's Wealth Matters episode on Inherited Property - Resolving Tangled Title. Watch the episode here or listen in here!
Progress Check: Year One of the Generational Poverty Law Project
One year after the Junior League of Atlanta awards $1M to three organizations, JLA asks "How has the grant benefited your organization?"
The Generational Poverty Law Project has handled 429 cases, experienced increased referrals between the partner organizations and collaborated with Georgia Institute of Technology to develop data-based outreach priorities.
July 2018
Arcane U.S. Land Law Gets Slow Makeover to Help Poor
“Prior to that [Act], it was very easy for folks to buy one family’s interest and force the sale of a property,” said Skipper G. StipeMaas, executive director of the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center. “The uniform act slowed down what was historically used as a mechanism by business owners and wealthier individuals to acquire land.”
“Not only does this erode a family’s ability to build wealth,” she said. “What’s also being eroded is that family’s cohesiveness.”
JUNE 2018
March 2018
SFI Community Grants Feature Collaboration from 102 Different Groups Spanning the U.S. and Canada
The Sustainable Forestry Initiative Inc. (SFI) announced 18 community grants today that will advance the quality of life in communities across the United States and Canada. SFI is bringing together a diverse range of people from 102 organizations to support community engagement projects. SFI engages local communities through a variety of initiatives including youth outreach, forest education programs, supporting tribal and Indigenous values, and green building projects for low-income families.
January 2018
"A Huge Problem in Plain Sight"" Untangling Heirs' Property Rights in the American South, 2001-2017
In the meantime, each family had to work at its own pace to resolve latent issues and reach agreement in order to secure land for future generations. StipeMaas said she found significance in the twists and turns of each case. “That’s one reason I love land,” she said. “You peel back the dreams, the aspirations, the hate, the love; every parcel is a novel.”
January 2018
Spring 2018 Georgia Landowner Academy to be Held in Fitzgerald
The Spring 2018 Georgia Landowner Academy will be held in historic downtown Fitzgerald in Ben Hill County. The sessions will be held every other Tuesday on the following dates: Feb. 27, Mar. 13, Mar. 27, April 10, April 24, & May 8.
May 2017
Junior League of Atlanta Awards $1M to Three Local Organizations
The Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Georgia Heirs Property Law Center and Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta's collaborative approach will help ensure that metro Atlanta clients of all three organizations receive the legal help and social services support that make a significant difference.
April 2017
Junior League Awards $1 million in Grants
The Generational Poverty Law Project received a $380,000 grant from JLA, and is a 3-year joint venture between Atlanta Legal Aid Society, Georgia Heirs Property Law Center and the Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta.
April 2017
City Observes Community Development Week
The City of Valdosta will observe National Community Development Week, April 17- 22, with various events that will highlight the year-round resources provided through the city’s Community Development Block Grant program.
January 2017
Inherited Property Puts Vulnerable Georgia Communities At Risk
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re trying to completely transform and remake a neighborhood or you’re trying to preserve a neighborhood. Title is at the root of whether you’ll be successful in either case,” said Delene Porter, with the Georgia Heirs Property Law Center.
August 2016
Murky Property Titles Dash Home Wwnership Dreams on Atlanta’s West Side
For Campbell and other residents, years of paying a house’s insurance or tax bill does not give an occupant greater ownership rights, and neither do verbal agreements, said Claude C. Davis II, an attorney with The Georgia Heirs Property Law Center
So far, Davis has helped Campbell and 16 other households clear up title through the homeowner stabilization program