Wait what?! Filing for probate on a property abandoned 20 years

[Tyler Thornton]

I have found a property in Orange County California that the decedent past away (intestate) 20 years ago with no known will and the property is payed off. No one has lived in the property since. There was no information of any heirs up front and there has never been a case filed (probate) on the property. It was deemed as a substandard building and boarded up by the City in 2015. I filed a petition for administration and have a court date on March 16th. Only then did I pull the death certificate to find out they had a daughter. After much searching I finally figured out the daughters name and that she was the one that payed the last property tax bill.   My Questions: 1) Why would the daughter neglect the property for 20 years and what rights does she have when she has willingly neglected the property for so long? 2) Being that the daughter has neglected the property for so long do I still have to send her a notice of the hearing?  3) If I send the daughter the notice for the hearing and she does not appear for the hearing what rights does she have after I am appointed administrator? 4) If I am appointed administrator how long do I have to wait to file to sell the property? 5) Any recommendations on any Orange County probate specialists I could talk to?

[James C.]

Tyler,

To me, this sounds like attorney time. It's a big enough deal that you should spend 1/2 hr or so talking to one. Theoretically, you should have one as part of your team that you can run these questions by.

Good Luck!

Jim