Heirs’ Property & Philanthropy: A Guide for Charitable Gift Planners-Recording: Heirs Property

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This webinar from the CGP Conference Encore Series focused on <strong>heirs’ property</strong> and why gift planners should pay attention to it. The presenters explained that heirs’ property occurs when land or real estate passes informally through generations without clear legal title, often leaving multiple family members as co-owners without realizing it. This can create confusion, conflict, unpaid taxes, and vulnerability to forced partition sales or outside investors, resulting in major loss of generational wealth.

Jennifer Norton provided the legal foundation, covering ownership types, state law differences, deed issues, probate, and how unclear estate planning can turn family property into tangled title. She emphasized that this problem disproportionately affects Black, Native, rural, Appalachian, Hispanic/Latino, and low-income families.

Aquanetta Betts connected the issue to gift planning, noting that many donors now hold wealth in non-cash assets like real estate. She discussed how heirs’ property can complicate charitable gifts, valuations, appraisals, and fractional interests. She encouraged planners to investigate property history, educate donors, build referral networks, partner with organizations that can handle complex gifts, explore alternative gift structures, and review gift acceptance policies. She also highlighted philanthropic opportunities to fund legal aid, estate planning clinics, and policy change.

Tiffany Purvis shared practical tools and a case study about a family with both charitable goals and multiple heirs’ property interests. The session closed by stressing that gift planners don’t need to be legal experts, but they do need to recognize heirs’ property, ask the right questions, and help donors protect both family legacy and charitable intent.

Keywords

heirs' property

gift planning

generational wealth

real estate

estate planning

tangled title

fractional interests

charitable gifts

probate

forced partition sales