Selling Land

[Greebo]

All this talk of real-estate has me wondering about something.

My wife, some years ago, jointly bought property with a long-ago ex boyfriend who, some years back, headed off to Las Vegas, ne'er to be seen again. (They also bought a house, but the sold that - the land was next to the house's lot)

So she is getting tax bills (cheap - like $13.00 or something) for the property and the tax is past due (she was just gonna let it go to the county).

But I'm wondering - cause it IS only $13 in taxes or so, and land is land...

How hard would it be for her to sell the land as "half owner"? I suppose a good faith effort to find s**thead (the ex) would be required?

No idea even where to start, but it seems like a waste to let land go when we're talking Baltimore suburbs here (remote but still)

 

[SJP]

All this talk of real-estate has me wondering about something.

My wife, some years ago, jointly bought property with a long-ago ex boyfriend who, some years back, headed off to Las Vegas, ne'er to be seen again. (They also bought a house, but the sold that - the land was next to the house's lot)

So she is getting tax bills (cheap - like $13.00 or something) for the property and the tax is past due (she was just gonna let it go to the county).

But I'm wondering - cause it IS only $13 in taxes or so, and land is land...

How hard would it be for her to sell the land as "half owner"? I suppose a good faith effort to find s**thead (the ex) would be required?

No idea even where to start, but it seems like a waste to let land go when we're talking Baltimore suburbs here (remote but still)

Pay the back taxes.
Issue a bill to S**thead for 50% of the taxes and penalties
Send bill to last known address
Resend again
Send to collection agency
Take possesion of land for not paying the bill
Sell land yourself.

I'm sure you can find a lawyer to charge you a couple grand to come up with essentially the same steps all legal and proper like.

 

[wsuffa]

How is the land titled? And what is it worth?

If it's joint ownership, then she may still be on the hook for taxes and/or costs related to a tax sale.

If it's jointly held, then it'll be nigh on impossible to sell just her interest. If it's worth the trouble, consult a good real estate attorney about obtaining full possessory interest.

 

[Greebo]

My wife seems to think they got the land for only a few hundred dollars. If the land is still valued at that amount then I dunno if its worth the trouble. But I intend to do due dilligence before making that decision.

The land is titled jointly, fyi, and both her and his name are on the tax bill.

 

[wsuffa]

My wife seems to think they got the land for only a few hundred dollars. If the land is still valued at that amount then I dunno if its worth the trouble. But I intend to do due dilligence before making that decision.

The land is titled jointly, fyi, and both her and his name are on the tax bill.

as part of due-diligence, you may still want to spend a bit of money and consult with a lawyer about the implications to her if it goes to tax sale.

 

[woodstock]

I would think she would be able to force a sale pretty easily - although if he's no where to be found, period, I don't know if they can partition in absentia.

 

[Dave Siciliano]

There are usually ways to get full title, but those methods vary by state and can be costly and time consuming.

Do some investigation (I always get a kick out of someone using the term due-diligence since it was a court opinion that used that term years ago saying a party must investigate using "due diligence". Now, it's being used as a term.)

If it has material value, pursue things one way, if not, another course of action may be advisable to prevent a judgment; although, may places put a lien on real property and deduct what's owed when it sells. Still, unless your wife also wants to disappear, you should probably find out what can occur and what is a prudent course of action. Many old deficiencies can be settled for less than face value.

Dave

 

[inav8r]

In Indiana you can only title land in both names (i.e. "AND" both signatures are required for sale), but in WV the land can be titled in either name (i.e. "OR") where it only takes one signature to sell. So it's obviously going to depend on the laws of the state where the land is located.

 

[Richard]

Dave and others beat me to it, but I would go online to the Las Vegas county clerks office and review their FAQ and various forms with the aim to record the proper instrument to gain full title. Filing the forms is the expensive part. Yes, it does vary by state but in my county a property with delinquent tax is open to a whole host of things, including an unknown 3rd party coming in and gaining title.

The title to this thread says selling land but I'm not clear if that's what you have in mind. In any case, I certainly would NOT let it go. Land appreciates and they don't make it anymore. If you do decide to sell, clear the title and get a current appraisal.

My wife and her sister have title to 3 acres in NJ which her grandfather bought when a young man. Yearly tax is $8 but most recent appraisal (early 1990s) would blow your socks off.

 

[silver-eagle]

It would depend on where the land is located, but I was just out pricing an acre of land at $125,000. No matter what the state, county, or town values it at, monetarily speaking, it might be worth the time and trouble to settle it once and for all.

 

[Henning]

All this talk of real-estate has me wondering about something.

My wife, some years ago, jointly bought property with a long-ago ex boyfriend who, some years back, headed off to Las Vegas, ne'er to be seen again. (They also bought a house, but the sold that - the land was next to the house's lot)

So she is getting tax bills (cheap - like $13.00 or something) for the property and the tax is past due (she was just gonna let it go to the county).

But I'm wondering - cause it IS only $13 in taxes or so, and land is land...

How hard would it be for her to sell the land as "half owner"? I suppose a good faith effort to find s**thead (the ex) would be required?

No idea even where to start, but it seems like a waste to let land go when we're talking Baltimore suburbs here (remote but still)

Don't let it go, pay the taxes, in fact, if she can, go in and pay in person. Talk to the clerk, explain the situation and ask them what they think the best course of action is. They've seen it all, they know what works and what doesn't. The trick is having an interested clerk, and typically I find em pretty helpfull. There is a way to lien sale for the full title. I don't know the rules there, so I don't know how difficult or easy it'll be. The clerk may just have some forms she can sign on the spot to get the ball rolling. She may find it'll require a greater effort, and depending on the current and even mid term future (it only costs $13 a year to hang on to it) value, it may be worthwhile to hire an attorney.

 

[etsisk]

Land appreciates and they don't make it anymore.

Heh . . . you haven't been to a barrier island in NC, lately . . . Topsail Island is about a mile longer on the south end than it was when I was growing up and spending half my year there.

Of course, the NORTH end is getting sort of, um, close to the buildings!!

 

[Skip Miller]

as part of due-diligence, you may still want to spend a bit of money and consult with a lawyer about the implications to her if it goes to tax sale.

If you do decide to dump the land, make sure there will be no judgement against your wife. Things like that show up on credit reports.

To do this, pay the taxes. When the taxes are current, file a quit-claim deed of your interest to s**thead.

Done.

-Skip