OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Abandoned homes can be a common sight in parts of Omaha. One organization is working to change that by making sure homeowners have a clear owner designated to take over after they pass away.<\/p>\n
Even if the owner of a home has designated an inheritor in their will, the beneficiary has to go through probate court to secure the house after the owner dies.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s something not everyone can afford. In Nebraska, there is a way to make sure someone can inherit your home without going through probate.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Brenda Cartwright was completing an important task by filling out a transfer-on-death deed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you retire, you think about what\u2019s going to happen to your things,\u201d Brenda said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to plan ahead,\u201d<\/p>\n
This is her house. It\u2019s filled with mementos.<\/p>\n
She has a will, but she recently found out she would need more than just that to make sure her house could be passed on after her death without her inheritor having to go to probate court.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat\u2019s gonna happen when I pass? How difficult is it going to be for my family to handle that?\u201d Brenda said.<\/p>\n
She\u2019s not the only one who was unaware.<\/p>\n
Caroline Nosbisch, community outreach associate with Habitat for Humanity, says homes that are abandoned often get into that situation because inheritors can\u2019t afford to go to court.<\/p>\n
Habitat for Humanity is the organization that puts on the event to help people fill out transfer on death (TOD) Deeds.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven if you do have a will in place, you still have to go through probate court to get it enacted and that\u2019s where a lot of people end up losing the home,\u201d Nosbisch said. \u201cSo even if you have a will we recommend getting this transfer on death deed in place so that your beneficiaries can have that automatic transfer.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volunteer attorneys and students at Creighton Law are helping people get a TOD deed put in place.<\/p>\n
The service is free and open to anyone who lives in Nebraska.<\/p>\n
Helping secure her family\u2019s future is what brought Brenda here today.<\/p>\n
\u201cSeniors are not fully aware of things that are available to them for free to help them out,\u201d Brenda said. \u201cYou know, these type things are very confusing and they just don\u2019t know here to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
She says she found out about the service from word of mouth.<\/p>\n
Now she wants to make sure everyone knows about the need to take some extra steps.<\/p>\n