Wendell Devero of Philadelphia’s Brewerytown neighborhood has spent what seems like a lifetime trying to take ownership of the home where his family has lived for generations. He has finally realized that dream thanks to the new Title Clearance Unit (TCU) at the Register of Wills office.
“I’m a very, very happy man,” Mr. Devero says. “It’s been a long time coming.”
Helping families take ownership of their homes and preserve their generational wealth has been a top priority for Register of Wills John P. Sabatina, Esq., since he was sworn into office in January 2024. Register Sabatina promptly created the Title Clearance Unit to serve the thousands of Philadelphians who live in homes without clear titles showing their ownership.
“For many of us, our home is the most valuable asset we own. That means one of the best ways to preserve our wealth and hand it down to our children and grandchildren is to make sure that the title is correct and up to date,” Register Sabatina says. “Also, title clearance supports Mayor Parker’s vision of affordable housing access for all Philadelphians.”
“It is very important to make sure that we have home ownership in the community because homeowners take more pride in the community,” says City Councilmember Jeffery Young, Jr., who represents the district where Mr. Devero lives. “When you’re a homeowner, you know you have access to wealth with the equity in your home, and so it allows you to do a lot more things and live a bit more free.”
What’s a tangled title?
Houses where the name or names on the current deed don’t reflect the resident’s ownership claim are frequently called tangled titles. Often, the deeded owner has passed away and a relative or heir is living there. One study identified more than 10,000 tangled titles throughout the city. That’s about one in every 50 houses.
The lack of a clear title can be a financial burden for the resident and can have a negative impact on the surrounding community. For example, if your name isn’t on the deed, you wouldn’t be able to borrow money on the value of the home for maintenance and improvements, or other big expenses like college tuition and investment in a business. Also, you may not have access to property tax relief programs like the City’s Homestead Exemption for owner-occupied properties.
Mr. Devero now owns the same house where his grandmother and his mother used to live and where he raised his own son. What’s more, the neighborhood has been seeing more investment in recent years.
“It’s up and coming around there,” he says.
He’s been trying to register a new deed for some 20 years.
“I tried many things. There were many roadblocks,” Mr. Devero says. “I wasn’t really educated on how to go about it. At the end of the day, I came (to the Register of Wills) and things got rolling.”
