84-year old Corine Woodson is speaking out as land developers in Auburn, AL are reportedly planning to purchase a 40-acre plot of land that has been passed down between generations of her family.
“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 land is is jointly owned by dozens of family members. They all own a percentage of the land, but not specific parts of it which means they are “tenants-in-common.” This complicates the situation, because if one stakeholder wants to sell, then everyone has to sell.
Cleveland Brothers Inc. has bought some of these family members out of their shares and now they own 49% of the 40-acre property.
Via @WTVM:
Soon, they’ll have the chance to buy it all. The property is currently under court-ordered appraisal, and when it’s done, the Cleveland Brothers can purchase it. When a partition begins, the court provides a deadline for any owner who wishes to buy the property outright to come forward.
The Cleveland Brother did that. Corine did not because as far as she is concerned, she already owns the property, but she’s filed a motion for the opportunity to purchase, and the court says it’s too late.”
“I have even said ‘Nobody can just put you off of your property,’ and my family members have said ‘No they’re not gonna do that,’” Corine says. “We were, I guess, naïve or not up to par on the law based on that timeframe, but it’s happening right before our eyes. The sad thing is there is very little we can do about it.”
Woodson began living on the property with her husband whose father purchased the land in the early 1900s. It has since passed it down through multiple generations of his family.
Now, it’s looking like she will be forced to find a new home. This is incredibly sad, but we want everyone to be aware of predatory practices like this that are dividing family legacies! #BWLM💕
