Same issue shows up in Allegheny County. Absentee on a purchased list isn’t enough by itself. I only prioritize when absentee stacks with something live—open code case, active tax lien, or a recent foreclosure filing. County assessor and clerk records beat the list every time before you spend on skip tracing.
Update: Just checked PAPA for 7856 Trieste Pl - still shows same MI owner from 2002. Anyone know if Palm Beach PAPA is delayed or should I trust clerk?
Interesting find. I’d cross-check the property address and parcel ID, then compare the appraiser’s record with the latest recorded deed through the county clerk. The appraiser’s ownership data may not always reflect a recent transfer immediately, so I wouldn’t rely on either record alone without checking the underlying documentation. If the deed shows a newer owner, that would be a good reason to investigate the discrepancy further before skip tracing.
I use DealMachine to check the county data for the last sold date before skip tracing. That helps me catch outdated records and avoid tracing a previous owner.
Same issue shows up in Allegheny County. Absentee on a purchased list isn’t enough by itself. I only prioritize when absentee stacks with something live—open code case, active tax lien, or a recent foreclosure filing. County assessor and clerk records beat the list every time before you spend on skip tracing.
Thanks Travis & Dan - great points. Learned my lesson with 6663 Bristol Lk S - list said 2002 owner, PAPA showed it sold 2020. Now I'm checking PAPA + Zillow listing status before skip. Dan - good call on stacking with code case/tax lien, will check PBC Clerk for that. Appreciate it!
Hi Muyees, Great example of why verifying current ownership before skip tracing can save time and prevent researching the wrong person. I’d start with the county appraiser to confirm the current owner before running the skip trace. For older owner lists, I think the key is making sure the information is up to date before spending time on contact research. As for email vs. SMS, I’d track response rates separately rather than assume one works better for every market.
@Emran Hossain — Appreciate this, very helpful. You're right — that's exactly what burned me on 6663 Bristol Lk S. List showed 2002 owner, checked PAPA and it sold in 2020 to a new OH owner, deed confirmed it. So I wasted the skip.
Going forward I'm doing exactly what you said — cross-check property address + parcel ID on PAPA, then compare with latest recorded deed on PBC Clerk (myclerk.myPalmBeachClerk). If deed shows newer owner, I skip tracing.
Just applied it — 15534 Fiorenza Cir, Delray Beach — FastPeopleSearch showed previous address recorded July 1995 matching my list, so still current. Saved time.
Thanks for the save-time tip on verifying before skip — lesson learned!