An Elderly Black Widow Forced To Sell Her Home To Developers

Corrine Woodson, 84, has lived at her home on Hamilton Road in Auburn, Alabama, for the last 60 years. The 40-acre estate, which her single-story home sits on, has been in her late husband’s family even longer.

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The Woodson family purchased the estate in the early 1900s, an undeniably impressive feat for a Black family in the deep South. Today, WTVM, a local station that first broke the story, estimates that the land is worth $20 million.

Unfortunately for Woodson, that multi-million dollar price tag didn’t go unnoticed by wealthy developers in the region.

Over the years, Cleveland Brothers Incorporated purchased various family members’ interests in the property. According to WTVM, they now own 49%. And soon, they’ll be able to purchase the entire property, forcing Woodson from the home.

The reason they’re able to do this has to do with estate law. The property was handed down from Woodson’s late husband’s father to his children or “designated heirs.” They are all considered “tenants in common.” Now, dozens of people own a percentage of the property and have the ability to sell their shares and force a sale.

The property is currently under court-ordered appraisal. And Woodson missed the deadline for any owner who wants to buy the land outright. According to WTVM, that’s because she believes she already owns the property.

Unfortunately for Woodson, the Cleveland Brothers made the deadline and are now set to purchase the land (literally) out from under her.

“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.’ 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,” she told WTVM.

Bill Cleveland of Cleveland Brothers told WTVM he would allow Woodson to remain in her home for a year. However, after that, she’ll be forced to move for the first time in 60 years.