Abstract
The economic vulnerabilities that result from fractured ownership inherent to family heir property (FHP) are eliminated through local county-based title clearing processes. It is generally known that FHP owners experience difficulty navigating FHP title clearing processes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to use the experiences of five Black-American residents (ages 30 to 80) with an FHP title clearing process to develop a title clearing navigational tool and recommendations for revisions to similar processes around the country. Anticipated is that the navigational tool and application of recommendations will increase the capacity of FHP owners to access the economic productive capacity of their property. The research question that guided this qualitative case study: How do five Black American residents (ages 30-80) describe their experiences with the Family Heir Property title clearing process in one county in the southeastern United States? The methodology applied was a single case study using a transformative lens. The General Inductive Approach was used to analyze the data. Among the study’s outcomes was that the FHP title clearing process (a) discriminates and marginalizes Black, low wealth, and elderly users; (b) limits wealth building and generational transfer of wealth, (c) causes acute and chronic severe emotional stress reactions, (d) requires protective factors (e.g., faith, determination, family cooperation, and/or altruism), and (e) likely discriminates and marginalizes elderly and low wealth FHP owners regardless of race.|Keywords: Family Heir property county-based title clearing process