Philadelphia’s Register of Wills Tracey Gordon stands in front of homes in her Southwest Philadelphia neighborhood. “We are waiving and deferring fees associated with tangled titles. Together we can solve this crisis,” she says. —WHYY PHOTO/Emma Lee
In Philadelphia, more than 10,000 homes have “tangled titles,” preventing some families from taking advantage of more than $1 billion in generational wealth, according to Register of Wills Tracey L. Gordon.
In fact, this situation is so dire, that at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Gordon is hosting the entire city congressional delegation with other officials and experts to talk about the problem and how families can prevent it and protect against it.
Her weekly Zoom show: “Plan. Prepare. Protect. With Register Tracy Gordon” will feature U.S. Reps. Dwight Evans, Mary Gay Scanlon and Brendan Boyle.
“Getting out information on general wealth, tangled titles and my office has been a high priority for my administration,” Gordon said.
Among these issues up for discussion, include: the Fair Housing Act, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal and city resources to address the tangled title crisis.
A “tangled title” refers to a situation where someone lives in a home, or has a right to own it, but their name is not on the deed or title. Often, this type of situation happens when a family member whose name is on the deed, dies without a will or without transferring or placing the deed in the relative’s name who is living there.
This can sometimes result in a relative losing the home. And sometimes tangled titles can lead to criminals stealing titles and selling the home.
The Tangled Title Fund, financed mainly by Philadelphia’s Division of Housing and Community Development Fund, awards grants to low-income people seeking to clear legal title to their homes. The grants help to cover the administrative, legal and other costs associated with that process.
Applicants for these grants are eligible for up to $4,000. But priority is given to those with household incomes that do not exceed 200% of federal poverty guidelines.
In addition, the property with the tangled title must be the applicant’s primary residence, or the person applying must intend to make the property their primary residence.
The city’s Register of Wills office is charged with the protection of general wealth. The office processes marriage licenses, maintains historic records, probate estates and other issues.
Gordon’s administration has also focused on educating citizens about financial literacy and estate planning.
Fixing the tangled titles crisis is one of the best non-policing solutions to crime, Gordon said.
“There are over 10,000 tangled titles in Philadelphia. These homes do not create generational wealth, they cannot renegotiate with the bank, be sold, get FEMA assistance or get insurance,” Gordon said. “We can create stable, safe neighborhoods and it all starts with housing and economic stability. That’s why my office created the Probate Deferment Initiative. We are waiving and deferring fees associated with tangled titles. Together we can solve this crisis.”
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