Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Rhode Island

Re: what are squatters rights?

Generally when taxes are owed on a piece of property and are not paid for a number of years, the municipality where the property is located will put the property up for a �tax sale�. The sale is basically an auction where anyone can bid on the property and �buy� it for the amount of the outstanding taxes due on the property. Thereafter, the owners of the property have one year to redeem the property by paying the tax sale buyer the amount paid as well as any other costs incurred. If the owner does not redeem in one year then the buyer can file an action to foreclose the right of redemption against the owner on the property and will own it outright without any lien by the owner. Therefore you should look into whether the property has already been sold at tax sale and if there is another owner of the property. This firm can certainly help you with this problem, please feel free to contact us.