ALABAMA A&M UNIVERSITY, Ala. — Heirs property legislation is pending before the United States Congress to help preserve family land in the U.S. According to Fannie Mae, heirs property is currently valued at $32 billion in at least 44 states.
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System is already working on the heirs property challenge through several initiatives, including the Saving the Family Property: Heirs Property Prevention, Resolution and Land Use initiative.
About the Project
Saving the Family Property: Heirs Property Prevention, Resolution and Land Use is a two-year project designed to link underserved and minority communities with resources to prevent possible land loss. These services will allow individuals to resolve title issues and promote avenues to generate income through sustainable land management strategies. In addition, college students will be trained as researchers to conduct genealogical and property title searches.
Project Partnership
The Saving the Family Property initiative would not be complete without assistance from project partner, Faulkner University’s Thomas Goode Jones School of Law. The law school plans to provide pro bono legal assistance via estate planning, ancestral property and mediation clinics.
“Faulkner Law School is eager to work with Alabama A&M on this project,” said John Craft, Faulkner clinical associate professor of law, director of clinical and field placement programs and director of the elder law clinic. “Heirs property is such a problem in Alabama, and unfortunately, it impacts many families who cannot afford legal representation to help clear titles for future generations. The faculty, staff and law students in the legal clinics at Faulkner look forward to providing information and pro bono assistance to help resolve issues with heirs property.”
Danielle Rudolph, site director for the Virginia Caples Lifelong Learning Institute, said Alabama Extension is pleased to have the opportunity to present this project in partnership with Faulkner University’s Jones School of Law as a legal partner and collaborating institution.
“Joining forces with Faulkner Law is pivotal to our ability to provide resources and services needed to help Alabama families prevent, protect and resolve heirs property issues,” Rudolph said. “With this partnership, we can offer access to education, legal clinics and representation to individuals and communities with limited accessibility and affordability. I’m especially excited to have law students from Faulkner working with undergraduate and graduate students at Alabama A&M to do this work.”
More Information
Contact Danielle Rudolph at (256) 372-4949 or ddr0007@aces.edu. Visit www.aces.edu for more information on heirs property.