No Good Deeds: Tangled Titles in Philadelphia

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No Good Deeds: Tangled Titles in Philadelphia

Program originally presented Friday, September 16, 2022 as part of the 2022 Bench Bar and Annual Conference

The recent Pew Charitable Trust report, “How ‘Tangled Titles’ Affect Philadelphians” found Philadelphia has over 10,000 properties that are impacted by tangled titles. A tangled title is when a person lives in and has an equitable interest in a property, but for any number of reasons that person is not on the deed. According to the Pew report, Black neighbors who are overwhelmingly low-income are the most affected. Tangled titles predominantly occur in the North, Upper North, West, and Southwest areas of Philadelphia. Most commonly, a tangled title occurs when the record owner dies, and their heirs do not probate the estate. Additional causes of tangled title include fraudulent conveyances, owner abandonment and adverse possession, and lease-purchase agreements. Tangled titles have serious ramifications for residents. Equitable owners are denied many benefits of homeownership, including obtaining repair grants, complying with real estate tax and utility tax payment plans, and obtaining or assuming a mortgage. A single property impacted by tangled title affects the property values of the entire block.

To remedy tangled titles, Philadelphians need legal assistance to navigate the difficult paths. Attorneys help clients through probate by opening an estate with the Register of Wills, probating the estate, which includes paying inheritance taxes through the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue and recording a deed with the Department of Records. When dealing with alternative tangled titles, attorneys go through the quiet title process in the Court of Common Pleas.

This CLE will educate the audience on the tangled title epidemic facing low-income Philadelphians. Panelists will provide their experience to address the process of untangling title through the various agencies and institutions. This CLE also addresses the need for attorneys to assist low-income clients in untangling title and unlocking intergenerational wealth for our most vulnerable neighbors. 

Moderators:
Winnie Branton, Esq.
Law Office of Winifred M. Branton
Chair, Real Property Section

P. Mike Jones, Esq.
Philadelphia VIP, Chair,
Young Lawyers Division

Panelists:
Hon. Abbe F. Fletman
Court of Common Pleas, Trial Division – Civil, First Judicial District of Pennsylvania

Eileen B. Quigley, Esq.
Senior Attorney, Ballard Spahr LLP

Karima Yelverton, Esq.
Assistant Solicitor, Philadelphia Register of Wills

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