When a loved one passes away, the last thing you want to think about is paperwork. But for many Pittsburghers, bureaucratic realities can come to haunt them long after a relative’s passing.
According to a recent report, Pittsburgh leads the nation in home inheritances, with more than 7% of homes received as inheritances or gifts.
But if a loved one doesn’t have a will, that gift can quickly turn into a legal and financial burden.
In many cases, families continue living in the home long after the loved one has passed, but without the home’s title in their name. In others, a home can sit abandoned when heirs are unclear or because no single heir is able or willing to take on the cost and complexity of claiming it.
To legally claim the property, an heir may need to open a probate case, hire an attorney, track down other possible heirs, clear any back taxes or liens, and update the deed, among other things. That process is not only difficult to navigate, but it also typically costs thousands of dollars, sometimes even more than the house is worth in its current condition.
Enter CLEAR: a path through the process
All of these challenges fall under what are called “tangled title” issues — and it’s why we launched the CLEAR program with support from JPMorgan Chase in 2024.
“People are walking away from their properties because they can’t afford attorney fees or home repairs, or they can’t get around the barriers of not having title,” said Gabrielle DeMarchi, Director of Equity Protection at Catapult.
Since its launch, CLEAR has been helping to remove some of those barriers and ensure that the legacy of homes stays intact. The program offers support with title issues, home repairs, and estate planning. It’s a one-stop approach that helps families secure both the legal and physical stability of their homes.
Patrick and Jean’s CLEAR story
For Patrick and Jean, CLEAR has been life-changing.
When Patrick’s mother died unexpectedly during the pandemic, it wasn’t just grief he had to contend with. Patrick’s mother didn’t have a will, and he, his partner Jean, and Jean’s son had been living in her house since 2008.
Jean knew they should transfer the home’s title into their names, but they didn’t have the funds to make it happen, so they just kept paying the bills and property taxes while the worries lingered.
“I was really concerned about what would happen to my son someday if Pat or I died. My son has autism, and something could happen to this house if the title’s not correct,” Jean explained. “Or what if something catastrophic happened and we needed to get a loan on the property and couldn’t?”
When they saw an ad for the CLEAR program, they immediately booked an appointment, and in just a few steps, were able to gain a clear title to the home.
How the CLEAR process works:
1. Intake & application
Residents begin by completing a simple intake form so the team can understand the basic situation and whether CLEAR is the right fit. After the intake form, participants complete the full CLEAR application to provide more details about the property, family history, and current challenges
2. Application review + initial conversation
The team reviews the application and schedules an initial conversation with Catapult staff to understand the case, explain expectations, and outline what documentation will be needed.
3. Gather essential paperwork
Participants work with staff to collect key documents: death certificates, the last recorded deed, any existing will, and other records needed to verify ownership history.
4. Meet with the legal team & sign an agreement
Once the paperwork is underway, the participant is scheduled for a formal intake appointment with CLEAR’s legal partners for a deeper assessment. The legal team then drafts a personalized Legal Services Agreement, which establishes the formal attorney-client relationship and clarifies the scope of support.
5. Investigation begins
The CLEAR team then starts their investigation. This includes identifying and contacting heirs, drafting transactional deeds, determining property interest, and more.
6. Estate administration & addressing back taxes
If the property has outstanding taxes, CLEAR works with clients to set up manageable payment plans so those debts don’t block the transfer of a clear title.
7. Estate planning
Once the title is clear, we often work with participants to create a will, help them secure homeowners’ insurance, and provide ongoing affordability support to safeguard the home’s legacy.
→ A collaborative, long-term process
Tangled title cases commonly take 18 months or more to fully address. But the process is deeply collaborative, with staff, attorneys, and families working step-by-step toward the goal: securing clear, legal ownership of the home.
Patrick and Jean were also able to get support with home repairs, which came as a huge surprise to them. They had been in need of a new roof for years but could only afford to make do with $300 patches here and there. With CLEAR’s help, they received around $25,000 worth of improvements, including a new roof, new doors, new outdoor steps, basement waterproofing, CO2 detectors, and more.
“When they called and told me they were going to give me a new roof, I felt like I hit the lottery, because we were scared,” Jean shared. “Every time there was a storm, I was praying our roof wouldn’t blow off.”
With the title and home repairs resolved, Pat and Jean were able to purchase homeowner’s insurance and are now working with Catapult to create a will so that, one day, they can seamlessly pass on the home to Jean’s son.
The bigger picture: homes as legacy
According to the nonprofit Neighborhood Legal Services, Allegheny County alone has an estimated 4,000 tangled titles, many of which exist in low-income neighborhoods.
The result? Many families are missing out on a crucial generational wealth-building opportunity, particularly those who could benefit most.
“When a title is tangled, a family’s wealth is tangled with it. When we fix these issues, we aren’t just improving the life of one family; we are protecting the assets that allow families to build security for the next generation. This then has a ripple effect across our communities, creating stable, thriving neighborhoods where homes are cared for and families remain rooted.”
Resolving these issues for Jean was also a way to ensure she wouldn’t repeat family patterns. When Jean’s grandmother died without a will, her father continued living in her home until the day he died — never able to fix the title or secure ownership for himself.
