tax delinquent properties are auctioned every month in every TX county. Your county must be a little slow in processing the delinquency. You might inquire at your county tax office when the particular property will come up fo auction. I don’t think there is anything you can do, on your own accord, to acquire the property.
Escheat laws are on the books in every state, and deal with property left behind by a dead person with absolutely no heirs. This is extremely rare, but it does happen. When it does, the state inherits the property.
I’m interested in a parcel of land here in Texas. According to tax records the County list the property owner as “unknown”. I know that taxes have not been collected in about 15 years. I’m assuming the last property owners perhaps are deceased. What procedures are there in Texas and in other states in claiming abandoned or unclaimed real estate? What about the “Esheat laws”
Posted by John Merchant on March 31, 2005 at 10:54:25:
While the tax collector in that county will know who HE thinks is now responsible for those taxes, and the RE you have in sight, you should know that TX occupies a unique position on public and escheated RE.
TX alone of the 50 states, has almost NO Fed RE, other than that owned by Fed installations, military, etc., as TX came into USA by treaty and all public land remained state possession, not Fed., as it was TX possession prior to its annexation into the USA.
In the other states, any land not owned by a private individual or entity is owned by default by the USA and managed by Fed Dept of Interior.
If I were checking this, I’d start with the County Tax Collector, but then also check with the Atty Gen’s office in Austin…if nothing shows either place I’d then think about filing a TTT (trespass to try title) action to establish MY rights to the RE.
TX TTT is its version of what is Quiet Title Action in other states, and is old CL (common law) version of that action.