Defining 'Home' Through Homestead Laws
10 Pages Posted: 4 Feb 2019 Last revised: 5 Feb 2019
Date Written: May 1, 2018
Abstract
A home is important — for individuals, for families, for societal structure. But, the law does not provide a clear definition of “home.” The Home & Homecoming symposium asked, in part, how the law defines “home.” This article provides one answer by looking at homestead laws. After analyzing the protections and parameters of homesteads — especially the urban/rural parameter distinction — this article concludes that a “home” is more than a mere dwelling place, a “home” is the real property that allows a family to remain stable through difficult times.
Keywords: home, rural, urban, homestead, family, property
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