Lien holder cannot be located

[Greg Tunes]

What do I do if I cannot find the lien holder that has recorded mortgage on a property?

Situation:

I am working on purchasing a single family property. However, it was discovered during the title search that a lien (approx. 15k) was filed on the property back in 2002. When searching to contact the company, the company does not seem to exisit.

I have done multilpy searches via Google and the Secretary of State where the company was organized. But, the Secratary of State cannot find any record of this company.

I have asked the heir to the property "does she have any documents with this lien holder?" She stated, "no".

I was told to find out about filing a Quiet Title suit because its been over 15 years and the lien holder has not filed any paperwork suing for compensation. Also, the owner of property has been deceased since 2012. Therefore, the lien could possibly be paid off, but the company has not filed a cancellation document.

I think the property is a good deal; and I am willing to pay for the Quiet Title process. 

However, how do you sue a company that you cannot locate or know who the owner is?

Thanks for reading!

[Tom Gimer]

Determine the maturity date of the mortgage as well as local law regarding lien expiration. Liens don’t last forever.