Constance Neal and Alfreda Wortham hold many fond memories of growing up in Philadelphia’s Cobbs Creek neighborhood. Alfreda was just a toddler when the family moved into their tidy two-story rowhouse, while Constance was a few years older. Decades later, they still reflect on the closeness they felt with other local families – bonds that continue today although longtime neighbors are fewer in number.

They can’t imagine the home ever falling into another family’s hands.

Thanks to Philadelphia Register of Wills John Sabatina and City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, the sisters won’t have to worry about that happening anytime soon. TheRegister’s Title Clearance Unit (TCU) helped them fix their “tangled title” and assume legal ownership for the house they inherited five years ago.

“I’m so glad you were able to get the title untangled and keep your home in the family,” Councilmember Gauthier said during a recent meeting with the sisters. “Unfortunately, tangled titles are a big issue in my district, and I want every family to have the sense of comfort that you all have now.”

The sisters spent years trying to update the title for their home to no avail.

“Our mother passed away in 2020. That was during the pandemic and we didn’t know what to do,” Ms. Neal recalls. “We called people. We called lawyers. But everybody was just giving us the runaround.”

As a result, the house remained in their parents’ names, and the sisters were missing out on the many financial benefits of ownership, such as property tax relief and home equity access.

Then Ms. Neal responded to a letter she received from the Register of Wills inviting her to contact the TCU, a unit that Register Sabatina created in 2024 to help people fix their tangled titles by completing the probate process. The TCU also helps clients apply for property tax relief, home improvement, and fraud protection programs.

TCU Director Myasia Williams works with clients personally at every step.

“She walked us through everything,” Ms. Neal says. “This office is a godsend. I’m telling you it’s awesome.”