Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project
The Earl Carl Institute launched its “Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project” in September 2007, to address the legal challenges lower income people face in maintaining their real property and enhancing their wealth. The project was named after Opal Mitchell Lee, whose family acquired more than one hundred acres of mineral land in East Texas after the death of her great grandfather. Over the years many of her relatives died intestate, leaving title to the land fractured among numerous heirs. As a result of being unable to locate all heirs to share in payment of tax liens, the property was lost in a tax foreclosure sale. The legal issues surrounding Ms. Lee’s loss are widespread within many disenfranchised communities and it is our goal to help reduce property loss of this and other types.

The project’s focus is to help economically disadvantaged communities retain and grow wealth through the prevention of land loss. In the wake of today’s financial crisis with rising foreclosure rates the Earl Carl Institute’s Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project is poised to be at the forefront in curbing these types of property losses.

The Project provides advocacy and educational services. Through the services of supervising attorneys, student practitioners and strategic partnerships with Thurgood Marshall School of Law legal clinics, the project provides services that range from counsel and advice on property related issues to in-court representation.

Our primary areas of practice are:

• complex wills & trusts
• clearing title to property
• small estate probate
• preventing foreclosures
• tax redemption cases
• property tax exemptions and protest assistance
• assistance with delinquent property tax cases
• inter vivos transfers
• other matters regarding land loss prevention
• formation of nonprofits related to community development
• deed restriction renewals, amendments and revisions
• Consumer debt issues

We serve the general Harris County community and its contiguous counties (Brazoria, Galveston, Chambers, Liberty, Montgomery, Fort Bend, & Waller). We receive IOLTA and BCLS funds to provide legal services for low income individuals, through a grant from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. We are principally funded through the Thurgood Marshall School of Law and we also receive a limited amount of other funding.

We conduct intake Monday – Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. We welcome the opportunity to be a referral resource for other nonprofit organizations.

For additional information about services available through the Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project, please call our switchboard at 713-313-1139 or our Intake Specialist at 713-313-1159.

Property Preservation Informational brochures:
Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project (Overview)
Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project (Overview) in SPANISH
Advanced Directives
Partition Agreements & Basic Real Estate Documents
Partition Agreements & Basic Real Estate Documents in SPANISH
Wills & Estate Planning
Property Tax Protests
Property Tax Protests in SPANISH
Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project- Foreclosure Defense Clinic

Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Project Foreclosure Defense Program
In November 2009, the Texas Access to Justice Foundation awarded the Institute additional funding to enhance the OMLPPP to include foreclosure defense services. The Foreclosure Clinic was established as part of the Opal Mitchell Lee Property Preservation Program through a grant from the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. It operates to specifically address the large number of homeowners in disadvantaged communities whose homes are at risk of foreclosure.

Homeownership is the single greatest asset most Americans own, and their principal source of wealth. Helping individuals in underserved communities maintain such a valuable asset is a high priority for the Foreclosure Clinic. Foreclosures and risks of foreclosures have been increasing in Texas and throughout the country over the past few years. In Harris County, Texas alone, there are thousands of foreclosures each month, many of which are home mortgages defaults, and for nonpayment of property taxes.

The Institute’s Foreclosure Defense Clinic provides both advocacy and educational services. Through the services of supervising attorneys, student practitioners, and volunteer attorneys. the project provides services that range from counsel and advice to in-court representation.

The foreclosure clinic serves Harris County and its contiguous counties including Brazoria, Galveston, Chambers, Liberty, Montgomery, Fort Bend, & Waller. Our services are subject to income eligibility requirements.