About 150 Palm Beach County homeowners can still get free estate-planning and probate help before Sept. 1 under a grant-funded Legal Aid program aimed at protecting family homes.
Without a will or completed probate, a home can remain legally in a deceased owner's name, leaving relatives unable to sell it, borrow against its equity or secure clear title.
Tequisha Myles said that gap can also block FEMA disaster payouts after hurricanes, even when families have kept paying the mortgage, taxes and upkeep.
The Heirs' Property Project covers wills, powers of attorney, health-care directives, Lady Bird deeds and title-clearing assistance—services Legal Aid says would usually cost $3,000 to $5,000 privately.
The program is funded by a $1 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and Palm Beach County, and eligibility is based on homeownership rather than income.