When property ownership gets complicated, we figure out who matters and what comes next.
Deceased owners. Unsettled estates. Missing heirs. Old liens. Broken chains of title. We research difficult ownership situations for real-estate investors and affiliated acquisition companies interested in resolving and acquiring complicated property interests.
The title problems that stop a normal sale cold
Many buyers avoid a property the moment ownership or title becomes complicated. These are the situations our research is built to handle.
Deceased owner, unsettled estate
An owner passed and the estate was never resolved, so the property is frozen. We trace who actually has authority to convey and move it forward.
Missing or scattered heirs
Inherited property split among relatives nobody can find or agree with. We reconstruct the chain of title and identify the parties who matter.
Liens, judgments & clouds
Old liens and judgments that may affect a transaction. We identify the recorded issues and help determine what needs further review.
Broken chain of title
Gaps, errors, or defective deeds in the record. Sorting out messy chains is the core of what we do.
Back taxes piling up
A tax bill growing every year on a property nobody has been able to sell. We trace the ownership and research the issues standing in the way of a transaction.
Property you didn't ask for
You may have inherited a share of something far away, in bad shape, or shared with relatives you barely know. Our research can help establish who holds the interests and whether an investor is prepared to acquire them.
We start with the records and work toward a transaction.
Most of our work begins with a specific property. We trace the ownership, identify the people connected to it, and help an interested investor determine whether a practical acquisition is possible.
We identify the property
Our work usually begins when a client or affiliated investment company identifies a property that may fit its acquisition criteria.
We research the ownership
We work through deeds, probate filings, tax records, death records and genealogical sources to identify the people who may hold an interest.
An interested purchaser may make an offer
If the research supports a transaction, the investor or acquisition company may offer to buy the property or an individual ownership interest as-is.
Complicated ownership is the work, not an exception to it
- ✔ Problem ownership is our specialty. Unsettled estates, scattered heirs and defective chains are the situations we research every day.
- ✔ We work from the records outward. Deeds, probate, tax files, court records, death records and genealogy are used to reconstruct the ownership picture.
- ✔ We locate the people who matter. The name on the tax roll is often only the beginning; we trace the family and ownership history forward.
- ✔ Our clients understand difficult acquisitions. They may consider properties or fractional interests that ordinary buyers will not.
- ✔ Closing is handled professionally. When a transaction moves forward, the purchaser works through the appropriate title company, attorney, or closing professional.
Have a question about a property we contacted you about?
Send us the property address and your question. We can explain what public records led us to you and what our research is trying to determine.