How to find owner of abandoned lot?

[Sean Reischel]

Does anyone have any experience in searching for and finding the owner of an abandoned lot? The city will not give any contact information about the owners, who seem to have passed away. The house is in a trust under the homeowner's name. How do you find the owners of the trust, and therefore the owners of the property?

[Chase Cannon]

Sean - In most states, a trust is considered a legal separate entity. Therefore, there will be documents filed with the local courthouse. Usually, the trust documents are filed within the county where the property is located unless the property is located outside the county that the Grantor of the trust resided. As a last resort, if the state where the trust is located has to file for incorporation status, then there should be a registered agent for the trust. You could always try and reach out to the registered agent and see what information you could get. Personally, my first step would be to go to the courthouse and try to find the documents that created the trust. Hope this helps!

Disclaimer: I am a licensed attorney, licensed to practice in PA & GA. The content above is meant for information purposes only. The content above does not create an attorney/client relationship. Do not rely on it for legal advice. Always consult with an attorney in your state before you rely on the above information.