Tangled Title Archives - Jacksonville Area Legal Aid, Inc.

JALA helps clients keep their home during financial hardships

JALA helps clients keep their home during financial hardships

After facing severe financial struggles, “Charles,” not his real name, and his wife were on the verge of losing their home. Thanks to the help of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA), their situation was turned around, and they were able to retain their property. Charles, a self-employed contractor, had faced a tough financial year even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. With two clients backing out of contracts, his income was significantly impacted. Despite efforts to recover, the situation worsened, and he was forced to apply for a mortgage modification. Things took a further turn for the worse as the pandemic compounded the financial strain, leaving Charles and his wife with dwindling savings and mounting pressures.

Dennis Harrison2025-03-31T17:42:57-04:00March 31st, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Tangled Title|

JALA helps client secure transfer of home and vehicle ownership

JALA helps client secure transfer of home and vehicle ownership

Following the unexpected passing of her husband, “Lisa,” not her real name, needed guidance to secure ownership of her home and vehicle. JALA Attorney Jessica Farmer assisted Lisa through the probate process, ensuring she could remain in the family home with clear legal title. Lisa’s late husband had children from a previous marriage, but they fully supported her right to the home. Under probate statutes, the children had to be included in the legal process before transferring their interest. JALA utilized a legal form called a quitclaim deed to officially place ownership in Lisa’s name. After smooth transfer of title, Lisa sought to also claim her husband’s vehicle as exempt property, allowing her to take full ownership without legal complications.

Dennis Harrison2025-02-25T14:44:25-05:00February 25th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Tangled Title|

JALA helps client secure the benefits of home ownership through probate

JALA helps client secure the benefits of home ownership through probate

Following the death of her mother, “Kendall,” not her real name, needed help transferring the family home into her name. JALA Attorney Jessica Farmer successfully guided Kendall through the probate process to secure full ownership of her family home. Kendall had been living in the home but faced challenges with probate, the legal process required to officially claim ownership of inherited property. Fortunately, creditor concerns were not an issue, with more than two years having passed since her mother’s death. With several siblings, all of whom were on board for the probate process, the case required coordination with the family to obtain waivers, which took some time. After obtaining the deed and preparing the pleadings, Farmer filed the case and promptly requested court orders, which were granted. Kendall was thrilled to receive the orders for the title transfer. Among other benefits, gaining title to the home allowed her to claim her portion of the homestead exemption.

Dennis Harrison2025-01-27T14:10:57-05:00January 27th, 2025|Client Stories, Fair Housing, Family Law, Shelter for Elders, Tangled Title|

New Freed to Run Challenge event in downtown Jacksonville to support Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Shelter for Elders endowment

New Freed to Run Challenge event in downtown Jacksonville to support Jacksonville Area Legal Aid’s Shelter for Elders endowment

Building on the success of Freed to Run, Jacksonville Area Legal Aid and Gunster Shareholder Mike Freed are launching a new initiative to create a Shelter for Elders endowment that will safeguard and strengthen JALA’s housing-related legal assistance for indigent seniors. “With Freed to Run, we created permanent legal aid funding to serve Northeast Florida children whose health issues are further complicated by their civil legal needs,” Freed said. “Now we are going to do the same for our elders who are faced with housing insecurity in their golden years.” Along with the new endowment comes a new event format. While Freed to Run was a six-marathon series from the Florida Supreme Court in Tallahassee to the Duval County Courthouse, the Freed to Run Challenge will take place on the streets surrounding the courthouse over just two days, Friday, Nov. 17, to Saturday, Nov. 18. Individual participants and relay teams will raise funds for the endowment through peer-to-peer fundraising based on a challenge to complete half-mile laps around the Duval County Courthouse in a period of either 12 or 24 hours. The distance covered by each individual or team will be measured by counting the number of laps they complete around the courthouse at any pace they choose. Participants do not need to be runners.

Dennis Harrison2023-11-25T11:30:26-05:00August 18th, 2023|Fair Housing, Freed To Run, Tangled Title|

Heirs to Black-owned homes face ramped-up foreclosures.

Heirs to Black-owned homes face ramped-up foreclosures.

When Henry Scott’s mother died two years ago, there was never a doubt he’d want to keep her home. He most definitely did. “It just has a lot of memories for me,” said Scott, 61. But a title issue — tied to the lack of a will — put a smooth inheritance at risk. Such problems can result in unclear ownership, simmering family feuds and properties falling into disrepair. That can put family homes such as Scott’s at risk of being lost to unscrupulous developers or — as the Miami Herald showed earlier this year — cities seizing them over property violations and selling them to boost municipal revenue. Black neighborhoods have borne the brunt of these efforts. But now community organizations in Jacksonville, which is 30% Black, are fighting back, banding together under the banner of a community redevelopment organization called Local Initiatives Support Corporation to help families struggling with what are known as “heirs’ property” issues.

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:24:12-05:00June 28th, 2023|Fair Housing, News, Tangled Title|

Legal Services For Those In Need of Assistance

Legal Services For Those In Need of Assistance

The Yulee News considers it important to bring to its readers the many organizations whose services are available to them. We spoke with Jim Kowalski Jr., Esq. who is the President and CEO of Jacksonville Area Legal Aid (JALA). Nassau County is one of the 17 counties that are covered by JALA in North Florida. JALA is the oldest legal aid firm in Florida founded in 1937 as a pro-bono outreach of the Jacksonville Bar Association. Through the years it has become a more formal legal aid organization through the process of hiring attorneys and staff. Currently, there are 40 lawyers and staff making it the 8th largest civil law firm in Northeast Florida. The mission of JALA is, “A nonprofit civil legal aid firm focusing on delivering economic, social, and housing justice to low-income and at-risk individuals and families on the First Coast.”

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:26:15-05:00June 22nd, 2023|Children's Health, Fair Housing, Family Law, News, Pro Bono, Refugee/Immigration, Tangled Title, Veterans Services, VOCA|

JALA helps clients save their family homes through probate, mortgage modification

JALA helps clients save their family homes through probate, mortgage modification

Having clear title to one’s home is often crucial to saving it, whether the threat is from potential foreclosure or a natural disaster. That’s because without clear title, the homeowner cannot negotiate with lenders or access federal aid, including disaster relief from FEMA or housing assistance through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Jacksonville Area Legal Aid helps families avoid a potential foreclosure and access federal aid after a loved one passes away by helping them clear title through probate. "Probate is a complex and confusing process for many families," JALA President and CEO Jim Kowalski said. "But it is a crucial step in ensuring that a deceased person's property is properly transferred to their heirs. When families don't understand the importance of probate, they can put themselves at risk of losing their homes."

Dennis Harrison2024-01-04T11:43:59-05:00February 13th, 2023|Client Stories, Fair Housing, News, Tangled Title|