CLS attorney Kate Dugan spoke in support of new legislation introduced this morning by Councilmember Katherine Gilmore Richardson. The law would permit victims of deed fraud to receive refunds of the transfer taxes paid by scammers. These refunds are usually between $4,000 and $8,000. Under current law, victims are not entitled to petition for this money. CLS represents many clients who are victims of deed fraud. In the last three years, 356 people have filed deed fraud reports with the City, and just last week, the District Attorney filed charges against a notary who is believed to have stolen over 20 homes by forging and recording deeds. Often, deed fraud happens when a home is in a “tangled title” and is owned by a deceased person, meaning that families have a harder time preserving and protecting their intergenerational wealth. We are thankful to Councilmember Gilmore Richardson and the City Council members who are supporting this legislation and look forward to working together through the legislative process. (fb)

Earlier this month, CLS Managing Attorney of the Homeownership & Consumer Rights Unit Michael Froehlich spoke on a panel about Philadelphia’s response to the tangled title crisis at the American Bar Association / National Legal Aid & Defender Association Equal Justice Conference in San Francisco, CA. The panel was organized by Roxane Crowley of Philadelphia Legal Assistance and also featured Philadelphia's Commissioner of Records James Leonard. The panel highlighted CLS’s three-pronged approach to addressing tangled titles: 1. Untangle existing titles. 2. Wills and estate planning for homeowners to end the problem for future generations. 3. Systemic advocacy to ensure that people with tangled titles are eligible for city and state programs open to owner-occupants (including home repairs, property taxes, and more.) (fb)