Claiming abandoned piece of land Texas
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Claiming abandoned piece of land Texas
There is a piece of land with a rundown building that has
been abandoned for about 20years I’ve tried to find the
property in th county appraisal district, and the county tax
assessor and could not find a single document to this land
and I wish to make a shop there any help?
Asked on March 13, 2017 under Real Estate Law, Texas
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You can't claim it legally other than by adverse possession, which is the legal mechanism for claiming another's land when you don't have title to it (but which will take typically 10 years of your occupancy and use of the land, during which time you could lose it if the owner surfaces and brings legal action to reclaim it) or by purchasing it from a tax sale or foreclosure sale. If the county takes it for upaid taxes, you could buy it then; otherwise, though, there is no way to claim this land unless you are willing to just start using it and hoping that no one comes back to claim it for the next 10 years.
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
You can't claim it legally other than by adverse possession, which is the legal mechanism for claiming another's land when you don't have title to it (but which will take typically 10 years of your occupancy and use of the land, during which time you could lose it if the owner surfaces and brings legal action to reclaim it) or by purchasing it from a tax sale or foreclosure sale. If the county takes it for upaid taxes, you could buy it then; otherwise, though, there is no way to claim this land unless you are willing to just start using it and hoping that no one comes back to claim it for the next 10 years.
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