I am in Florida. I have recently discovered a piece of property I was interested in and I went to the Court house to find out who owned it. They said no one did and no one was paying taxes on it. I asked how I could go about getting it and they said they didn't really know but I could research it on their books that have all the recorded deeds and mortgages but they didn't know how I would do that because I didn't have a name. I tried to search by looking up the names of those owners around it and hoping at one time maybe one person owned all the lots in that area. This was to no avail. They suggested I call the abstract office and request a title search and a quiet title. I called the abstract office and they said they don't do that that it would require an attorney. Seems crazy but has anyone encountered anything like this?

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Originally Posted by momma25

Seems crazy but has anyone encountered anything like this?

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Hello momma:

Yes. Every time I go to the courthouse and try to get legal or business advice from bureaucrats, I get stymied too. Sometimes I don't think bureaucrats know the law at all. They're certainly not familiar with business. They oughta get bureaucrats that are.

So, I find that I need to hire a lawyer to get done what I want done. You might have to do that too.

Somebody owns that piece of property. Of that, you can be sure. There ain't NO un-owned property in the entire US. A real estate lawyer can find out who it is, and he can help you make an offer.

excon

In Ohio, the property is foreclosed on for non-payment of back taxes. It is offered on sheriff's sales, and if it does not bring enough to pay for taxes and/or other assessments, the property is then forfeited to the state by the county auditor... after that clears the title, the property is then offered for another auction for which the property can be sold for as little as $1... It does not happen often, but it does happen. I don't know the process in Florida but it might be wise to talk with the actual auditor or government official rather than a secretary. I have been personally waiting for my area to decide to do such a sale for about 5 years. They do not do it very often because it is not a profitable activity.