I see dead people

[Corey Scott]

Sorry for the morbid title, but it got your attention, didn't it? Well here my situation...

I am in touch with someone that calls himself the personal representative of the owner of record who has been deceased for 7 years. It is behind on taxes for all 7 of those years. I want to buy the house. Who do I make the contract out to? Is the personal representitive the executor? What does this person have to present giving them the right to sell this house to me? Anything else I should know about this situation?

Also, the house is in Florida and the personal representative is out of state.

[Lynn McGeein]

While I have no knowledge of this type of sale, and I'm not a lawyer, I just wanted to caution you as this sounds fishy to me. Maybe there are estates that sit for 7 years with no resolution, but hard to believe if there is actually an executor involved. And he's not calling himself an executor, but an out-of-state "personal representative." I would not send any money, deposit or otherwise, until I've insured this person has the right to sell this property. Make sure your EMD is put directly into escrow at your title company or attorney's office, not sent to this person.