All Forum Posts by: Benjamin Orr

@Chris K. Thanks for sharing that wealth of information.  I'm guessing being the 3rd party and holding the property for 20 years waiting for the inheritance lien to expire isn't the best strategy ;)  I will start with seeing what I can find out about who is mowing the grass and hunting more diligently for heirs, relatives or anyone who knows the story better.  I need to get into the property to see condition, what all is left, and the right next steps.

The property was bought at $15k hammer price.  There was another local investor bidding who ended up getting two other houses. The house is smaller and not in Chambersburg so it's not as popular of an area. I chose the house because it played with in my grand house hacking/vacation rental plan.

Thank you Chris and David.  I'm learning a lot fast. I'm definitely going to have to read up more on the inheritance tax system and its legal workings.  I wouldn't have thought that would have been something to address since I was buying and not inheriting the property.

@Chris K. the ARV of the property is max $115k (max because I haven't fully seen inside the full property yet).

Thanks for all the responses. I understood there would be risks and some extra work going into a Tax Sale.  The price left lots of room to play with anything that came up. My goal is to get as "legal as possible" to cash flow on the property. Liens are not an immediate issue because I don't plan to sell right away.

@David Krulac can you expand more on how the inheritance tax works in this case?

If no one comes forward or I can find no one, would ejectment work to a deceased party?

Thanks for the response.  I bought the sale at the Upset Sale after doing a title search and checking the recorders office.  There was only one satisfied mortgage of $3000 from 1989 and nothing else.

I'll reach out to a lawyer and see what I can find out.

I recently bought my second property since being on BP. Maybe I should have stuck to simpler routes, but I wanted to do PA Tax Deed sale. I did my homework, worked the numbers, and won the bid. After buying a nice smaller SFH and talking to a neighbor, I found out that the property I bought belonged to a deceased woman (died April 2014 the tax year of sale) with what appears to be no heirs.

There is no mortgage or other liens on the property.  Someone appears to be mowing the lawn sporadically and someone has at least collected the mail at some point (though not recently).  I get my title in 4 months after the waiting period is passed.  My research recommends getting a Quiet Action title, but here are some concerns the experts or Pennsylvania natives could shed some light into:

1. What should/can I do with her personal property? Do tenant laws apply since she isn't a tenant of mine?
2. What can I do to the property? Can I change locks or winterize?
3. Should I be concerned about any inheritance tax?
4. Why was there no estate set up to handle the process of property and taxes?
5. Are there any other areas I should be concerned about?

In case anyone runs into this in the future, the Land Lease will convey for a property bought in PA if you meet the right criteria.  1) You must be a PA resident.  2) You must have a primary residence in PA other than the Land Lease.  

I'm pretty sure calling the State Land Lease Office lost me the deal so I hope this information helps you.

Has anyone every come across a Land Lease property at an Upset Tax sale?  I live in PA and it is a tax deed sale.  There is a cabin on the upcoming Upset sale that technically has no deed because it is a Land Lease off of the State Park.   I asked at the Recorders office and the Tax claim office and no one could tell me what really happens to the property.  

How do I get the Land Lease to convey to me if I own the "property"? Can I really enforce the deal if I don't actually get a deed?