Hundreds of homes in West Dallas are currently vacant and abandoned because owners have died without properly leaving the residence to someone who is willing and capable to take care of the property.

Abandoned properties are safe havens for crime, encourage vandalism and arson, often contain noxious odors from human and animal waste, are hazards for children playing in the area and ultimately perpetuate neighborhood deterioration.

Beyond the adverse effect on the communities’ quality of life, the neighbors around these properties suffer by experiencing lower property values, higher crime, and stifled revitalization.

As a way to prevent healthy properties owned by the residents of our target communities from becoming abandoned future magnets for crime, ACT conducts pro-bono will clinics wherein property owners in the community are given an opportunity to obtain the necessary legal documentation to assure that their property is conveyed to their heirs without complication.

Drafting estate planning documents for the residents of our target community will not only promote safer neighborhoods for generations to come, but also facilitate relationships between ACT and the community, as well as afford lawyers across a wide array of practices the opportunity to become involved in ACT’s work of justice.