Family Disputes Over Homes Can Lead to Violence — An Important Reminder

The Center’s General Counsel is quoted

Estate planning isn’t just about financial security—it’s about protecting your home and your loved ones for generations. When a homeowner passes away without a clear plan for who inherits the property, families can get drawn into costly disputes, displacement, and even violence.

A recent Gothamist article covered an unfortunate dispute in Brooklyn’s Park Slope over a brownstone, left without a clear heir, that became the center of a dispute involving at least ten potential heirs and two real estate investors. The situation escalated to gunshots and several arrests.

In the same story, the Center’s General Counsel, Scott Kohanowski, spoke with Gothamist about the complexities and dangers of tangled titles — real estate without a clear legal owner after a death — can attract predatory investors and painful family conflicts. Kohanowski recommends early estate planning to avoid these issues.

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