Vacant House with no next to kin

[William Sharp]

We have a home located across the street from us that is now vacant.  It was occupied by a single male that passed away originally from Russia, so there is no next to kin to be found.  He passed away in July 2023 and no one has visited the home since then.  I have been cutting the grass and taking care of small outside items to keep it looking nice and keep the pests down.

How can I go about trying to buy this home as an investment property.  I would most likely rent it out to my daughter.  The home has no liens and is currently behind in property taxes by 1 six month payment which was due in February.

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @William Sharp:

The only way to legally claim the property is through a tax auction or foreclosure (if he had a mortgage). You would have to wait for one of those events to happen, then jump in with the masses to fight for the winning bid. 

You could lay claim under adverse possession laws. A party claiming land by adverse possession must prove that he or his predecessors had exclusive, continuous possession of the disputed land for at least 21 years and that the possession was open, notorious and adverse to the legal title holder. However, this would require you to illegally possess the home for 21 years, then try to lay claim to it.

Your best option is to speak with an attorney to see if there are any other options. I doubt it.

[Gregory Wilson]

See what OTR ADOPT in Cincinnati has done with acquiring vacant and abandoned properties through receivership. You might get them to do all the legal work to take it and then sell it to you.