Finding Owners?

Question

I've finally closed on a cash deal through an auction company that took forever to close and am currently in the process of spending too much on rehab expenses but that is a different post.

Right across the street is a vacant house that neighbors tell me has been vacant for more than a year.  It looks like one I would like to buy but I can not find the owner.  I've asked all the neighbors and tried to contact her via information in the tax records.  I found her ex mother-in-law but she was less than excited to help me find the owner. She did tell me that the owner has remarried and divorced again and is probably using her maiden name which she claimed to not know what it was.  :-(

Ive searched these forums for information regarding skip traces and didn't find much which makes me think that is not done much.

How do you find long lost owners?

Thanks,
Bob

Chris Walker · Answer

I kept asking around with neighbors and eventually found the contact.

Another deal I had never updated the title after great-grandma died.  Three generations later . . .

We found the names of 17 heirs, some were in prison, some had died.  The deed followed the bloodline, so. . .

The interesting question was "Did they have any kids?"  It was a family tree that sowed its seed far and wide, so relatives didn't know if there were kids outside the family tree, just suspected there were.

After locating 13 of the relatives, we gave up.  There wasn't any room to do the court process with the surviving sibling who's share wasn't spread to 17 others. .. What a mess that was.. .

Nattapon Permchom · Answer

Now you know who do you need to contact. LOL

Chris Martin · Answer

I've had the most success asking the neighbors, especially when there are obvious impairments to the property. Let them know you plan on cleaning the place up... and some times they will provide a ton of useful information about the property, the past owners, their kids, etc....

Bob Yon · Answer

Patrick,
          
          Thanks for the response.  I'll try the techniques you describe on the next one.  This one got away and is now an REO.

Patrick Karbon · Answer

If the tax records didn't get you any useful information, I would suggest simply trying the whitepages with whatever last-name info you have of previous owner and call each one.  i can't attest to how much or how little info you've found on here regarding skip-tracers but if you have no other (cheap/free) alternative, I would recommend giving a skip-tracer a try, assuming your potential deal is worth the effort.  Another tactic is to mail a letter of intent to purchase to the home address and if it get's returned to you, it may have a forwarding address.  I've had this happen with Direct Letter's I've sent only to get back a letter with a forwarding adress of the person at an address I never came across in my usual searches!!

Good Luck, 
Patrick

Ibrahim Hughes · Answer

Is the property in foreclosure? If so, check the actual file (filed with the state superior court here in the judicial state of NJ). The owner, by law, has to be served by the foreclosing attorney. And the attorney has to make every effort in locating the defendant (the owner). Look in the file and see what they came up with.