Real Estate Agent · Salt Lake City · Member since 2020 · 14 posts · 11 votes
Does anyone have any experience in searching for and finding the owner of an abandoned lot? The city will not give any contact information about the owners, who seem to have passed away. The house is in a trust under the homeowner's name. How do you find the owners of the trust, and therefore the owners of the property?
Sean - In most states, a trust is considered a legal separate entity. Therefore, there will be documents filed with the local courthouse. Usually, the trust documents are filed within the county where the property is located unless the property is located outside the county that the Grantor of the trust resided. As a last resort, if the state where the trust is located has to file for incorporation status, then there should be a registered agent for the trust. You could always try and reach out to the registered agent and see what information you could get. Personally, my first step would be to go to the courthouse and try to find the documents that created the trust. Hope this helps!
Disclaimer: I am a licensed attorney, licensed to practice in PA & GA. The content above is meant for information purposes only. The content above does not create an attorney/client relationship. Do not rely on it for legal advice. Always consult with an attorney in your state before you rely on the above information.
Sean - In most states, a trust is considered a legal separate entity. Therefore, there will be documents filed with the local courthouse. Usually, the trust documents are filed within the county where the property is located unless the property is located outside the county that the Grantor of the trust resided. As a last resort, if the state where the trust is located has to file for incorporation status, then there should be a registered agent for the trust. You could always try and reach out to the registered agent and see what information you could get. Personally, my first step would be to go to the courthouse and try to find the documents that created the trust. Hope this helps!
Disclaimer: I am a licensed attorney, licensed to practice in PA & GA. The content above is meant for information purposes only. The content above does not create an attorney/client relationship. Do not rely on it for legal advice. Always consult with an attorney in your state before you rely on the above information.
@Chase Cannon, I went to the local courthouse, and they apparently don't hold any trust documentation. It's in a revocable trust, so I'm assuming they're trying to keep everything private. I think I've hit a dead end, but I'm still trying to find the trust's agent. At the moment, that seems to be my only other lead.
Did you look at the deed to see who conveyed the property into the trust? How about the address of the trust? If it is different from the address of the subject property then maybe you can reverse look up the address to see who lives there and see if they are somehow connected to the trust. And who takes care of the lot? Is it maintained or trees and bushes all over the place? Any violations against the owner?
@Steve Morris Thank you. I just contacted my friend at Title. We'll see how long it takes her to respond.
@Ibrahim Hughes Thanks for all the guidance. The deed was transferred into a trust with the person's name on it. I believe her husband passed away in 2017, and she then transferred the property from her name to the trust. I have reason to believe she passed away too. The property is in a pretty bad condition and trash has accumulated on the front porch. Unsure if there are any violations, but it is not a pretty site.
@Sean. I would check for obituaries and probate info the woman who conveyed the property. I would also do a reverse search of her or the trust address to see if I could find any relatives. Finally, I would also look up the husband's obituary to see if any relatives were listed.
I knocked on the next door neighbor's front door, and she said the lady is still alive, but on hospice. So, I'm going to write a letter to the home expressing my interest in purchasing. We will see what happens.