Go to a title company to ask for advice. They may just tell you to take it to a lawyer, which will cost plenty. But they are interested in generating good will and having you as a customer, and may just give you useful information. Can’t hurt to start there…its free.

Do you want to hear an even more messed up family deed title mess?

Grandparents owned vacation house jointly. They lived in another state than this vacation house. Grandfather dies property is retitled to his wife. That was the last proper step.

Grandmother dies 10 years later. Her will is probated in the state she lives – but the out of state property is never retitled. Her will gives the property in equal shares to the 5 children.

A few years later one of the children dies. He was single – his will gives his share to his remaining four siblings. His will was again probated in the state he lived in – but not the state of the property.

A decade later – another sibling dies… no will. Assets (what few there were) went to his wife since they were jointly titled with her – except this property. His wife verbally states she wants nothing to do with this property since she’s being asked to pay shares of the taxes, utilities, insurance, etc. She verbally states she’s walking away.

The third sibling dies, in a 3rd state. Leaving 2 survivors from the grandparents, still standing. One of the two remaining siblings announces that the share goes away when you die. (No legal basis for this – just a forceful statement that this is how she sees it.) The newly deceased sibling has a will that is going through probate. The survivors (one is in his 90’s the other is in her late 80’s) finally decide to try to sell – and all of the deed issues, unprobated wills, etc come to bear.

Lawyers are involved. 3 states are involved. Probate courts are involved. Title companies are involved.

In the end – after all the bills are paid – the two survivors, and the two estates that didn’t will their share back to the survivors, the shares will amount to about $15k each.

We’re coming up on the year mark and second buyer… (first buyer walked after 6 months of waiting for clear title.)

It’s a mess. It’s also a race to see if it can be sold before the remaining two siblings die.

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