United Way of NELA kicks off third year of The Heirship Project

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - United Way of Northeast Louisiana will kick off its third year of The Heirship Project in October. The project aims to educate and assist residents who need help obtaining a clear property title.

When the necessary legal work isn’t done after a property owner dies it becomes heir property. Heirs who have a verbal agreement but no legal title to the property could run into many obstacles when it comes to selling the property, making property repairs, or qualifying for government aid to fix damages to the home.

Director of Community Initiatives at United Way NELA, Michelle Saucer, said they are looking forward to expanding the Heirship Project.

“Last year, 100% of our participants indicated the workshop was helpful and that they learned something new about protecting their property,” said Saucer. “We’re excited to expand the reach of this project in 2023, including a new partnership with The Northeast Louisiana Bar Foundation, and make it as accessible as possible to our community members.”

The NELA Bar Foundation seeks to provide free legal advice and assistance through its Pro Bono Project.

The foundation will advertise The Heirship Project’s in-person events to northeast Louisiana attorneys and offer CKE credits to those who attend.

The Heirship Project will host seven events with both in-person and virtual options.

The following is a list of the events:

• Thursday, Oct. 5 | 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Learn for Attorneys | Location: United Way of NELA’s Financial Health Center - 1001 Desiard Street
• Thursday, Oct. 5 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | Community Workshop | Location: United Way of NELA’s Financial Health Center - 1001 Desiard Street or Zoom
• Thursday, Nov. 9 | 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Learn for Attorneys | Location: United Way of NELA’s Financial Health Center - 1001 Desiard Street
• Thursday, Nov. 9 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | Community Workshop | Location: Lincoln Parish Public Library - 910 N. Trenton Street or Zoom
• Thursday, March 7 | 12:00 - 1:30 p.m. | Lunch and Learn for Attorneys | Location: United Way NELA - 1201 Hudson Lane
• Thursday, March 7 | 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. | Community Workshop | Location: Union Parish (TBD)
• Thursday, April 4 | 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. | Community Workshop | Location: United Way NELA - 1201 Hudson Lane or Zoom

Wesley Eby Johnson with E & P Consulting, LLC said that families will have the opportunity to learn about transferring property ownership, selling property to a third party, or continuing to have multiple heirs as owners of the property.

“Participants will be taught how to talk about these options with one another and how to be better stewards of the legacy properties left by their parents and grandparents,” Johnson said. “The end result of the Heirship Project should be that more property transfers will take place from the estates of the deceased to the heirs, leaving less properties becoming abandoned or blighted due to maintenance and repair needs not being met.”

Those who need assistance in obtaining a clear property title for heir property or who want more information can register online at United Way NELA’s website or call 2-1-1.