However, Dodd-Frank is under the gun with changes (pulling teeth) from the Act under the proposed government funding Bill.The attack seems to be where you'd expect it to be, provisions were written by CITIGROUP  pulling the teeth on allowing the 4 big banks (that have 92% of the business at risk) dealing in securities allowing depository coverage, meaning the tax payer will be back on the hook as they were before the DF Act.

BPers,Anybody know whether to get the credit for 2014 property taxes whether it sufficient for the checks being mail out to county before Dec 31st or do I need to get a receipt dated before Dec 31st  ?James

This solution, however, assumes that a seller of the taxpayer's replacement property would be willing to accept the third-party installment note  as full or partial consideration their property. 

Partner A needs to purchase her replacement property as the same taxpaying entity for the relinquished property and while a land trust could be used, she may be just as well served to 1031 into a Tenant In Common interest in the new property.  

If he didn't pay it off you can often work backwards from the info given in the registered mortgage to figure out approximately how much he still owes on the property, assuming a reasonable interest rate for that year and also assuming that he didn't make any extra payments of principal in the intervening years.You might also want to access the tax collector's website in that town to see if he's behind in his property tax payments.  

In theory this works (the threshold the IRS has to prove a taxpayer is a dealer in securities, business interests, etc. is MUCH harder to prove than the threshold in real estate).

They can be cleared in a foreclosure from the title ( but that doesn't clear the debt for the taxpayer). 

You can pick up a list of delinquent tax payers from the montgomery county recorder's office.

Thanks John and Rick for the great advice.Rick-This is the process I was thinking as its a family ownership transfer, I will review the promissory note and start the process from their.There is also one tax payment left on the property where I can assume that and inform the lender that the payment will be made by myself.

IMO, (non cpa, joe taxpayer like yourself),Deducting actual vehicle expense not only requires exclusive use for business, but the vehicle must have commercial signage permanently attached (ie not simple magnetic signage).Life is much simpler taking the mileage deduction and not raising a red flag for operation costs.