Can't find lien holder

[Anh N.]

Hi!  I'm interested in purchasing a vacant property.  There's a lien on the house from a private lender.  Based on my research, I believe the lender might be deceased.  Will I be able to purchase the property with the lien still on the title?  Thanks!

[Rick H.]

It is entirely possible to purchase or control a property without having notified an existing record lienholder.

Of course, this will put a certain amount of the risk burden upon you.

What if the lien was paid off? How are you going to get it released?

What if YOU want to pay it off? How will you get it released? What if the balance is higher than you anticipated? 

My normal tactic us to take off the market, control the asset, determine status of title, and do what is necessary to clean up title and gain possession. 

Sounds easy, right? 

Maybe.

Typically not.

I have a large legal team and higher tolerance for risk and lawsuits than most. That's because my business model is based on helping attorneys and their clients.

I have a referral system that helps organize this type information for CA properties.