Owner passed no heirs

[Keyven Hernandez]

Hey guys I have question. While driving for dollars I found a property where the owner passed away about 5yrs ago and from doing research it doesn't seem the have any heirs. There are back taxes of about 2k. My question is what's the best way of acquiring the property. Should I pay for the taxes and file a lien on it or what's the best way? 

[Bruce Lynn]

It is possible someone has no heirs, but that is pretty rare....brothers, sisters, cousins, parents, may have some right to the property.

How have you determined there are no heirs?

If you want the property, you will need to hunt those people down and offer to buy from someone who has the right to sell it....get the court to appoint them to sell and then buy it.

Typically in most places that I have heard of, just paying the taxes would grant you no rights to the property.   I would guess at this point if  h there are taxes liens already on the property, one of those people that bought those will exercise their right to foreclose if there is value in the property and you could buy it from them.   My guess is this is what more commonly happens to properties where the owner dies and doesn't have any heirs....it probably just ends up going to the tax foreclosure sale at some point and goes thru that process to find a new owner.

What state is the house in?   Posting that may get you a better answer as to how tax liens or sales happen in your state or maybe probate type process.