Partner Spotlight: Heirs Property Issues Remediation and Prevention

Lack of clear title to a family home, often known as an heirs property dispute, is a key factor preventing sale, renovation, or rehabilitation of homes in San Antonio, particularly in older neighborhoods where BIPOC populations are highest. Without documentation establishing a clear chain of title—who legally owns the home—it is impossible to obtain conventional financing such as a mortgage or home improvement line of credit. Residents of heirs properties may pay taxes for years without benefit of a homeowner’s tax exemption and without knowing that, legally, they are not homeowners.

LISC San Antonio is proud to partner with multiple local organizations and initiatives who are actively working to remediate existing heirs property disputes and provide options for families to prevent these issues going forward. Two of the organizations involved in these efforts are the Mexican American Unity Council and the San Antonio Legal Services Association.

Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC) was incorporated in 1967 as a means to diligently organize for economic and political empowerment of the Mexican American population in San Antonio. While MAUC’s mission also includes providing services in education and community and economic development, their housing work includes providing education and assistance with heirs property issues.

San Antonio Legal Services Association (SALSA) is a corps of attorney volunteers coordinated by professional staff to provide free civil legal services to those with limited means and those who are vulnerable or at-risk. SALSA recruits, trains, and supports the volunteer attorneys who represent SALSA’s clients without charge.

Together, MAUC and SALSA are working to provide resources for San Antonians, educate policymakers and homeowners about these issues, and help residents take steps to prevent clouded title issues. In 2022, MAUC and SALSA held their first Transfer on Death Deed (TODD) Clinic, at which volunteers were able to set up TODDs for their homes, ensuring that these assets will officially pass to their heirs.

Along with supporting these prevention efforts, LISC San Antonio looks forward to continuing this work through a Title Clearance Systems Analysis, which we are undertaking with consultant Ladder Logik. This process includes interviews with stakeholders, exploration of system gaps and barriers to integration, and recommendations to ensure continued progress for local families.

To complement the heirs property education, prevention, remediation, and systems work that is underway in San Antonio and Bexar County, LISC San Antonio hosted a Lunch ‘n’ Learn on the Prevention and Remediation of Heirs Property with City Council staff members. Practitioners and experts from San Antonio Legal Services Association, Mexican American Unity Council, Bexar County, St. Mary’s School of Law, and Ladder Logik gathered for a discussion with City staff about the causes and implications of clouded title for residents and neighborhoods—including how heirs property issues restrict home maintenance, compromise neighborhood safety, and prevent wealth building. Thank you to everyone who joined us for this conversation!