Picture a quiet house on a sunny street—mail piling up, the lawn a little overgrown, curtains drawn tight. The owner has passed away, but no heirs have stepped forward. It’s not a rare scene; across the country, thousands of homes are left in legal limbo every year.
Cities, caught between preserving neighborhoods and avoiding blight, have to decide what to do with these unclaimed properties. What happens next is a fascinating mix of law, community planning, and a dash of creativity.
