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I sent out a mailing to individuals whose property is coming it for sale this coming June due to non-payment of property taxes,
I received a piece of returned mail with a USPS note on it, “Moved Left No Address”. I just drove by the home. From code violation notices on the door, it appears to have been vacant for at least 2 years. I checked with the neighbors. They’ve seen no one at the property in the last couple years.
I did a county records search. The property appears to be free and clear, except for the code violation liens, and the delinquent property taxes in the amount of approximately $1,100. With some TLC, this is a $80K house.
I did a BeenVerified.com search. It appears that the owner is a 87 year old lady whose last known address was Kansas City, Missouri. (No street address…just KCMO.) In the BeenVerified info, there were no relatives listed. There is no information as to whether she’s alive and, of course, if she is, whether she is competent to contract.
Your thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!
Sounds like an adverse possession opportunity. You should find out if she had any heirs, contact them, then offer to pay them $1000 for a quit claim deed and say you will pay the back taxes.
The owner could be in a nursing home near by. or she could be deceased. talk to neighbors to see if she has any heirs that they know of. call nursing homes to see if she is there. If she is, they will also have relative contact info. (nursing homes is how I found the owner of a vacant house a few times)
UPDATE: The owner passed away in 2014. Haven’t been able to find out where she passed away so I can check court records for a probate filing and possible heirs/executors.
From what I have been able to determine, there are no heirs listed in ‘BeenVerified.com’ and several other websites that I’ve checked. RealPeopleSearch.com showed a possible ‘Associate’. I don’t know what that means. I called her and left a message.
I
Mike
it would be a good idea to do a google search for Property code adverse possession in your state – just so you are familiar with the process yourself instead of relying on the attorney to give you (at a price) all the info you need to know. It will be in the property code. Probably only 1 page of details (crazy huh)
UPDATE, 3/10, 3:19 CST: Since the last post, I have been able to determine that their are potential heirs that would have a financial interest in this property. The owner passed away in 2004 without a will and, of course, there was no probate. The person that I visited with that I got my most recent information from is a step-daughter. She advised that everyone thought the house in question had long since been disposed of in one way or another. Since there was no probate and no executor/administrator, there is no one that can sign a Warranty Deed or Option or any other type of legal document in which I could gain an interest in the property If this went to tax sale in June, the excess proceeds would only be available to the person on the Warranty Deed who, of course, is deceased. It appears at this point that a Quiet Title action, at some point, is inevitable. I would not mind paying the taxes on the property to keep it from going to tax sale, but in Oklahoma, that does not give me a right to any interest in the property. Any thoughts, ideas?
Good job! Really good detective work Mike! You need to check with your attorney but i think you ca get a Quit Claim deed from the step-daughter then record it. Pay the taxes to stop the sale. A quit claim deed is simply saying that any rights she has she is deeding to you, but not claiming that she has any rights. You might need to give her, and other heirs, $50 or so to get the quit claim deed. It is no “warranty” of title from them to you just an assignment of any rights they might have. The step-daughter might be able to help you find other heirs but just one will be ok for now.
If you pay the taxes, you can record a lien against the property for the amount you pay.
if you get the quit claim, you will not need to file adverse possession.
sounds like a GREAT opportunity.
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