someone please correctly tell me who owns this house

[Deurward Clark]

Can someone please tell me the correct answer to this question. I have a friend that I'm trying to wholesale her house for her. Here's the deal, her mother and brother both are deceased her mother deeded the house to her son in case she died first but he died before her she was 91 yrs old. The house was never transfered over in the daughters name but she has been paying the property taxes on the house for 5 yrs. The house has been vacant for 5 years now because it's a house that the mother used to leave in a long time ago before purchasing another house. Can someone tell me who owns the house? Is it still the deceased brother kids who would be a heir or is it the daughter of the mother since she is next of kin. I can't put the house under contract until she is the owner. But I need to know who the rightful owner is. Please only respond if u know the correct answer because I asked two other people and they gave me different answers. Can someone e please help me. Thanx so much forever grateful

[Randy E.]

@Deurward Clark, there are two facts you should be able to find out on your own. 

1) Look up the house in the city property recrods and see whose name is on the deed.  If it's the mother's name, that's a great first step.

2) Check with the clerk of court in the city where the mother lived and died, which is hopefully where her will was filed.  If the will was filed with the clerk, you'll be able to obtain a copy of the official will and read it.  There's nothing like seeing the facts with your own eyes.  The sister may not correctly understand all the facts.  If the will was filed and it does not mention the brother inheriting the house, or if the will was never officially filed with the clerk, that's good news for the sister.

The bottom line is, you need to get ahold of some straightfoward facts.  Going by the hearsay of the sister might prove to be a waste of your time.  Once you know those two facts, you'll know whether or not you want to pursue this.