QUESTION
How does one sell a worthless property?
Asked on May 18th, 2014 on Estate Planning - Missouri
More details to this question:
My father passed away about three years ago. When he died, he owned a house in the town where I live. He had not lived in the house for 3 years before his death and now it's been sitting for a total of six years. The house isn't worth but maybe $5000 and it is not livable. I want to get rid of it but I'm not sure what I need to do legally to transfer it to someone else. I don't want to pay an attorney for worthless property.
1 ANSWER
Probate Attorney serving St. Louis, MO
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Edward L. Armstrong, P.C.
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Who actually has title to this property? If you have legal title (check with the Recorder of Deeds in the County where the property is located) you can simply sell it to whomever will buy it and give them a deed. Any type of deed (warranty, quitclaim, etc - you might not want to give such a purchaser a general warranty deed - a quitclaim deed would pass whatever title you actually have). If you don't have legal title and no estate was opened when your father died (a probate estate must be opened within 1 year of death) you will need to file a Determination of Heirship proceeding in the probate division of the circuit court in the county where you father was living at the time of his death. You cannot do this yourself so you would have to retain an attorney. Notices, etc. are required to be sent/published.
Answered on May 22nd, 2014 at 6:36 PM