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LISC and Legal Aid launch heirs‑property work to clear title, offer estate planning
Summary
LISC, Legal Aid and partners described a grant-backed program to help lower‑income Hamilton County homeowners gain clear title and complete estate plans; the initiative will target probate litigation and offer free wills and estate-planning services.
LISC Greater Cincinnati and legal partners described a new initiative to help homeowners with tangled or "heirs property" title issues obtain clear title and complete estate planning so they can access repair funding and lending.
"If you don't own your property with clear title, meaning it was legally passed down to you with legal documents ... you can't take advantage of many of the property tax, abatements, incentives," said Valerie Daley, director of programs at LISC Greater Cincinnati. Daley said the program will pair legal services with estate-planning assistance and data work with United Way to estimate how common heirs-property problems are in Hamilton County.
Daley outlined program goals supported by a U.S. Bank Foundation Opportunity Fund grant and LISC National funding: provide estate planning for roughly 125 households and help about 25 households consolidate or clear title through probate or litigation, she said.
Stephanie Moe, attorney with Legal Aid, described the range of cases her office sees — from straightforward probate transfers to very complex, multi-generation situations. "Maybe in 1 case, we have a 100 owners in Walnut Hills," Moe said, explaining that long family histories and missing wills can leave many potential owners with small fractional interests that block access to loans or grants.
Moe and Daley said the program will take both simpler cases and complex litigation and will also provide proactive estate planning to prevent future title problems. They encouraged referrals and said Legal Aid and partner Pro Seniors will make intake as easy as possible for eligible Hamilton County homeowners; they also said they plan to use data from a United Way study to target outreach.
Ending: LISC and legal partners urged neighborhood leaders, city staff and nonprofits to refer homeowners who may lack clear title; program contact cards were offered and Legal Aid said it will accept referrals by email for eligible, low‑ and moderate‑income households.
