Please move this if I’ve posted in the wrong place…
In my searches for properties, I was also looking for a house for my family. I came across a vacant house that I have found out is 4 years behind in taxes (the tax sale would be next year). I can’t locate the owner and I think he might be deceased. The back taxes are negligible, they are less than $20,000 and the house is worth About $650K. The city’s Contract Nuisance Abatement team has it fenced.
I have contacted the Assessor’s office and the address they gave me is the one for the home. I have not been able to find the owner in all of my efforts. I usually don’t care and will find the owner for an investment deal sooner or later, but since this is the home I want for my family, I care very much.
I would greatly appreciate what avenues you advise I go down to obtain this house and make it our home. I am NOT going to wait until next year and battle it out at the auction. Someone has mentioned adverse possession to me, but that is not something I would do.
I will be calling my attorney tomorrow, but I was really interested in seeing what you here had to say.
Talk to neighbors if you can and check with the property owner’s association if there is one. If that fails you may be able to find some info on intelius.com or through your attorney. If the attorney can’t search with then they’ll know a PI who can.
Thanks for the response. I really want and need to tread carefully here, if I notify the wrong person about this, they can try to grab this from under me. Also, I have done some more research and I have strong reason to believe that they might have gone back to their country of origin. I did find some public records pertaining to a bankruptcy, but the house had nothing to do with it.
Either wait for the tax deed sale, or contact the local municipal authority and ask if you can buy the tax deed now, or just move in and take adverse possession, in Pennsylvania it takes 21 years :rolleyes then you claim quiet title.
Quiet title doesn’t mean you take title quietly, it means you quiet all other claims.
This is not legal advice, consult a professional, if your erection lasts more than four hours, seek immediate medical assistance.
:shocked I never knew 4 hours was an issue…it’s normal for my hubby! LMAOOOOO
Allow me to add some more info here…I am in CA. The adverse possession is only 5 years. However, I wouldn’t be able to show that I was there for 5 years. I can pay the back taxes with no problem. I put a call into my attorney, I’m awaiting his call back.
I do know what a quiet title is, but thank you for adding that in case I didn’t.
The five years starts from the time you take it, so you won’t claim title till 2012. Google ‘adverse possession’ or try Wikipedia, they have a reasonable article on it.
I clarified quiet title for everyone, just to save answering another question.
I can’t do that, the county has put up a fence around the property. I am friendly with one of the inspectors, however. I’ll have to try harder to find someone that can put a signature on the line for me.
I know of a case where an “investor” found an unclaimed piece of raw land and a buyer. He did some research and found that the last known heir was “Susan Smith” (not her real name). He could not find Susan Smith and perhaps he didn’t even try but he did find “a” Susan Smith in a nursing home in another state and he convinced her to sign a deed. Then he sold the property.
I only tell this story because it is interesting and it is sort of on topic. I should also add that I know this story because the fake deed is the subject of a lawsuit. A friend of my family knew the original owner and was with him when he died. He was unable to locate heirs and continued to use the property of his friend as he had before by agreement. He maintained the fence, ran cattle, horses and hogs. He sold timber on more than one occasion and hunted the property every year. According to the lawyer who I referred him to, the case looks good for adverse possession…
Do a skip trace on the property, to try to find the owner. Google “skip trace” to check out companies that do this. Note: It does cost some $, but if it means you pick up a house for mucho equity, then it’s worth it.
I would never do anything illegal. I am just going to pimp out the county to get the info I need. I’ll do a skip trace tomorrow as well. My lease ends the last day of May. If I can get this wrapped up by the end of April, I can spend May updating the house and move in from here. SWEET! :biggrin
Ok, I’ve got some great news…I’ve done some more research and I am getting closer to getting this house. I found out that the son of the owner of the house was taken off as Conservator of the estate. I contacted the new one, but he said he was no longer involved with the situation. :banghead He did tell me that the son lived in Beverly Hills which helped a lot. He also told me that the owner was divorced. I found the ex-wife’s address (her number is non-published), so how should I go about contacting her? I’d hate to simply turn up on her doorstep. I need the son, I believe. If I send a letter, it would get to her in 2 days. What should it say? TIA!
I am always honest with the Seller. I basically let them know that they have a problem, e.g., pending tax sale, and that I am the solution.
In other words, I make an offer to buy their property & I pay all closing costs, including the tax lien. I tell them that all the have to do is show up at the Title Company, sign the papers, and walk out with a check.
Thank you again for the answer. But this situation really has nothing to do with money, I am afraid. This woman lives in a $1million+ home in Beverly Hills. She is not concerned with money. I have no clue what happened with her son, but since she is divorced from the father, I am guessing that she’s not particularly interested with keeping up his affairs. The taxes are 4 years behind and a Contractor has put a lien on the house because they had to put a fence up.
I am not sure who has the right to sign the deed over to me since they are divorced and he had been taken off as Conservator. I need to find this out and get her to call me from the letter that I send.
I read something today about an investor who actively looks for vacant tax defaulted properties, pays the bills, moves in and then puts a lien on the property for the amount he paid. Has anyone else here heard of this?
The Title Company will definitely figure out who has the right to sign over the deed. Maybe you ought to pay for some type of Title search before hand, if that makes you feel more comfortable.
I think I will bite the bullet and do that. I already sent a letter to the son on Saturday. He should get it today. I want this house SO bad, I can’t tell you. Thanks again.
that sounds great…I’m gonna ask a question that I assume you’ve already asked, but no one’s mentioned it here…have you checked on any liens? I know even at a tax sale people can start filing liens on a property (and do file them) up til the second the bidding starts. Again.the only reason I bring it up is because no one else has…but given I"m pretty new to all this there may be a simple reason why that’s not an issue here. Good luck on it.