TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Julia Wilburn on Apr 5, 2024

A group of Memphis law students filed suits against blighted property as a part of a program that helps them get hands-on experience while also helping clean up Memphis. Local Memphis reports that University of Memphis Neighborhood Preservation Clinic law students filed 15 lawsuits against neglected properties in Shelby County Environmental Court on March 14. North Memphis resident Roy Brownlee said the whole area is full of neglected homes, with many becoming targets for squatters and illegal dumping. “Especially when it's cold out and they might accidentally burn them down because they're trying to keep warm,” he said, noting that multiple homes did catch fire during the winter. Law professor Daniel Schaffzin says, “Because this lawsuit is filed against the property itself, and that property is in Memphis, even if the owner never appears, whether they’re living or not, unresponsive, we can still go forward.”