Heather,* a disabled military veteran, came to Lone Star Legal Aid (LSLA) for help protecting the home she shared with her mother, Jan,* after Jan passed away in 2020. Jan was the only person on the mortgage and the property title. Jan’s will named Heather as her sole beneficiary, but the family faced legal questions about Jan’s will and how to move forward—especially because several years had passed since Jan’s death.

At the same time, the mortgage on the home was moving toward foreclosure, so Heather needed answers quickly. The title history was also complicated by the possible legal interests of other family members, including Heather’s brother and Jan’s spouse at the time the property was purchased. One important step was confirming that she could be recognized by the mortgage company as the “successor in interest”—the person with the right to apply for options that could stop the foreclosure and keep the home.

LSLA provided steady guidance and hands-on legal help—support that can be hard to access without a lawyer. The team reviewed property and court records to clarify what was needed to transfer ownership. They also worked with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to confirm there was no Medicaid Estate Recovery Program (MERP) claim against the estate. To help resolve the title issues, the LSLA attorney prepared the legal documents necessary to clear the title to the property. With the ownership issues addressed, LSLA helped Heather contact the mortgage servicer, confirm her successor-in-interest status, complete a loss mitigation application, and confirmed cancellation of the foreclosure sale of the property.

In the end, Heather was able to clear the title and place the home—valued at more than $200,000—in her name. LSLA helped provide stability for a veteran and protected a family asset that could have been lost to foreclosure. Stories like Heather’s show why civil legal aid matters: when people face complicated housing and estate issues, timely legal support can help keep families safely housed and preserve the foundations they’ve worked hard to build. A home and future are worth protecting.

*Names have been changed to protect the client’s privacy.