how to find the owner?

[cschulz316]

If you want to try and contact the owner prior to the auction, how would you go about finding them if they don't live at the property? for ex vacant land?
Has anyone been sucessfull at this?
thanks

[farrouk]

Honestly, unless you are a real estate agent why would you want to contact the owner? This is a very dangerous strategy. The whole point of a bidding on a tax sale is to scoop the property from under the dead beat owners butt.

[Sasha]

Do a title search.  Can't sell the property until taxes are paid and unless you're willing to pay his taxes for him and then sell it and believe he'll return your money, then go ahead (I wouldn't unless its family).  The municipality usually tries to contact the owner and tries to work out a payment plan with the inidvidual, the person not paying is either walking away from his property, has liens on it, requries too much work or clean up or is just incapable of paying now or in the future.

[cschulz316]

a title search will only tell me the owner's name, how do i go farther from that? If you make an agreement to buy the property, it specifically states where the deposit is credited (towards final purchase price) can't you you make the  clause say "payable to city of xxx"? Or does it just make no sense since they already stiffed the city and you'll probably have to sue them to complete the deal and they'll have no money for damages?

[Pfm1011]

The money would be paid in trust to a lawyer who would handle the deal, The taxes would be paid out by the lawyer . Owner couldnt stiff you.

However by contacting the owner you simply are ensuring that the property does not go tax sale as 99% of people will realize the land is worth more then the tax and will pay the taxes then list the building with a realtor.   So all you do is screw yourself  (and us) out a chance to scoop the land.  Essentially you are an idiot to contact the owner.

[Sasha]

There was a property in Oshawa that went on tax sale approx. a year ago.  The owner had passed on and left the property to his 'dead beat' son who didn't know anything about inheritances, property and whether taxes were required to be paid on his property but probably could get away without paying income taxes.  The persons he trusted kept giving him bad advice and those that offered good advice he wouldn't listen to.  When he finally realized the municipality meant business and were going to take his inheritance, on the advice of a close friend, he listed the home on MLS.  The city took down his for sale sign and told him he couldn't sell his home until he paid the taxes, he was apparently on welfare and couldn't afford to pay, ever.  He was approached by several persons for a 'private deal' after that and kept refusing ().  A person that wasn't in a 'mental state of mind' to make proper decisions OR  intellectually challenged OR misled by those he counted on for good advice OR never thought to contact a lawyer to see if it was in his best interest to listen to the private offers?  We'll never know why he refused offers of the private deal.  The property went on tax sale assessed at approx. 160K, highest bid approx. 141K and minimum bid was approx 36K.
I put in a bid and never got the property but still feel sorry for the guy.  Had a vision of a bunch of guys similar to those in 'One flew over the cuckoos nest' giving advice to their friend that inherited a property, not any of us understand how those minds function.

Sasha

[Frank]

Municipality usually shy away from selling properties out from under loonies, unwed mothers, and widows....it makes very bad press...you know, he taxman took our house.

Good news, is that the excess proceeds might still be available for him to claim.  Once the sale is over the municipality must pay it into court.  Any interested parties have one year to go there and claim it.  Following which the municipality can, and will, claim it.

[Sasha]

I'm not sure if he 'lost his marbles' but I do know for sure the home was listed with MLS and the city did take down his 'for sale' sign and I'm sure he is was and still is a welfare recipient (not disability).  Dead beat?  Maybe or probably just 'simple'.  Apparently he argued with the municipality and angered someone since he believed he didn't require to pay taxes on an inheritance, perhaps confusing property taxes with income taxes.

Sasha

[Pfm1011]

There has to be something more to the story as the city has no right to stop a sale and absolutely no interest in doing so, They just want their taxes.   

 B The realtor would not miss his chance at the commission so they wouldnt let the sale be stopped.

A more likely story is the owner listed the house and didnt tell the agent about the taxsale and the agent just walked away since the owner wanted too much and wouldnt work with them.







 

[Apex]

I put an offer on that house when it was listed. Vendor did not even respond to offer. I was told that it was a nasty divorce and one person was in England. You never know what people will do when emotions are involved.

[justlooking]

I was also at the Oshawa sale. It was a disaster and had to be cancelled. The highest bidder $240,000 more that similar houses on MLS who did not complete his envelope as required had to be disqualified and so on with the second bidder. Third highest bidder
should have been awarded property but the whole issue went to the towns lawyers.
I never did see it come up again.  There was almost a riot at that sale, it was insane. I was also told that it was a nasty divorce and the heat, hydro etc was turned off and the owner was living in the house without these forth the last 6 mos.
Who knows. Again info from neighbours.

[Sasha]

I did went to a showing of the home when it was listed with MLS, my agent couldn't get much info. from his agent.  Nice home, nothing wrong with it.  I attended the tax sale as well, yes, there was an arguement at the sale since the highest bidder and I believe it was around 141K or 145K (property was assessed at 160k or 165K) didn't write 'to the treasurer' on the envelope.  I called the city to see if the sale was 'disqualified' and was told it was between the two highest bids (neither of which were mine) and they were deciding if 'to the treasurer' on the envelope was an issue or not.  Yes, the guy on welfare and his wife are divorced and the property was left to him by his father.  The mother and father had owned it for more than 30 years, the wife died and then the retired father lived in it till he passed on and left it to his son.  My realestate agent told me the property was no longer for sale since the owner hadn't paid his taxes and it couldn't be sold on MLS until the taxes were paid, then I waited till the property went on tax sale and put in a bid.
Thanks Frank, it makes my conscience feel better knowing the 'excess' proceeds are made available to the previous owner in case he is a 'loonie', just plain simple or some other sad story.  The property had no mortgage on it.

[justlooking]

Before I attended the sale I had checked out solds and listed same style bungalows in area and determined the selling price around
$230000.00 .

[Sasha]

Hmm.  If a property has a mortgage on it and it goes to tax sale, I know the mortgage doesn't survive the tax sale, is the previous owner still responsible for paying the mortgage, especially if 'excess' proceeds go to him?
When I speak of value, I speak of MPAC since in the northwest, where I live, we don't see many 'fair market highs' that are seen in large urban centres.