Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Texas
transfer title of property if both owners are deceased
My mother helped a friend by a small lot of land and was listed as a co-owner. He was put in a nursing home, so she then we paid the taxes on it for the past 10 years or so. She died with no estate to probate (we forgot the property) and then he died, also no estate probated. The property is only worth about $1250. We have continued to pay the taxes, but would like to sell it. How can we get it in our name so we can do this?
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: transfer title of property if both owners are deceased
There are a few ways to do this. Probably the least expensive way is to figure out who now owns the property using the laws of intestate decedent and distribution. This means tracing the two family trees of the co-owners, to figure out who inherited the property. You will then need to file an affidavit reciting the identity of the heirs, and how much each heir owns. After you do that, you can execute a settlement agreement with them, and have them execute deeds transferring the property to you.