How to Aquire Abandoned Property

[Judy Parker]

A vacant parcel of land in New Jersey has no living owners. The elderly owners passed away. They left the parcel to an elderly homeless man who passed away intestate. Technically there is now no owner of this property. While I think the easiest way for me to acquire this property would be to put a tax lien on it at a tax sale, there is one challenge. Two estranged family members (who are NOT the heirs and hate each other) have each been paying the property taxes. They each want to grab the property that doesn't belong to either of them. I don't think they realize that if they would just stop paying the property taxes, the parcel would go up for tax sale, and then they, or anyone else, would be able to bid on it and legally acquire it. Is there any other way, short of adverse possession, to expeditiously acquire such a parcel?

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Quote from @Judy Parker:

A vacant parcel of land in New Jersey has no living owners. The elderly owners passed away. They left the parcel to an elderly homeless man who passed away intestate. Technically there is now no owner of this property. While I think the easiest way for me to acquire this property would be to put a tax lien on it at a tax sale, there is one challenge. Two estranged family members (who are NOT the heirs and hate each other) have each been paying the property taxes. They each want to grab the property that doesn't belong to either of them. I don't think they realize that if they would just stop paying the property taxes, the parcel would go up for tax sale, and then they, or anyone else, would be able to bid on it and legally acquire it. Is there any other way, short of adverse possession, to expeditiously acquire such a parcel?

You are missing a key component. If they are paying the taxes, they think they are entitled to the property. It doesn't matter that they are estranged and what they think of each other is irrelevant. You have no way of knowing if they are heirs until probate is cleared. Not trying to be unkind, just factual. The first thing to figure out is who's name is actually on title for the property. 

The list of people who will inherit based on the state’s default plan varies depending on the state where you live

Here are the statues for New Jersey https://www.nolo.com/legal-enc...