84-year-old woman forced out of her home by her own family as it could be worth millions
An elderly 84-year-old woman is set to be booted out of her own home by her family after living there for 60 years.
Courine Woodson has been living in the same residency on the outskirts of Auburn for most of her life, though a 40-acre plot on site has caused a lot of problems.
In fact, the dispute threatens her entire future there.
The house sits on a farm that could be worth up to $20 million to developers, a large part of land that is a shared ownership throughout the family.
Advert
"I would like to ask them why. You know, why, but I don’t. I can’t figure it out. Thinking about it, wondering about it. It’s not easy. I can tell you that." Woodson told WTVM.
The farm originally belonged to her husband's late father, but when he passed away, it was left to his children or their designated heirs.
It is believed the land is owned by a dozen family members, but the confusion comes with who actually owns what.
In fact, no family has a specific part of the 40-acre land, instead owning a percentage.
The 'tenants in common' as it is now known, brings a lot of problems because if just one owner decides to sell, everyone else who has a percentage has to follow suit.
As per WTVM: "Heir property is one of those things, I know she was living at the home, but it was owned by the land and the land is sold … she would possibly have to move. It would’ve been a much different situation if her and the other family members that owned it were all equally sharing the ownership.
"Then they could have made a joint decision on what it is they’re going to do. Obviously, if you have ownership in it you have the right to partition to sell your interest in it. The family could buy your part out to keep a third party from coming in and assuming your interest. Because she was living in a house that was owned by the property, then got given to another family member, she’s at the whim of whatever ultimately happens with that sale."
Willie Woodson, Woodson’s husband, sadly died last year - making the whole ownership situation a lot more complicated.
Woodson’s daughter Melissa told WTVM: "It was determined already that the land cannot be equally divided. That is how he has the opportunity to buy all of it, and since they’re saying that my dad didn’t say that he wanted to buy all of it, they’re not allowing my mom the opportunity to do so."
Callum Jones