Finding Properties In Probate.. Any Ideas?
I made a ton last year on a house that had been in probate for two years (both elderly owners died, no heirs). The house went to a RE investor who didn't have time to rehab, so he assigned to me and took a fee. How he originally found it, I don't know.
I know that properties in probate are 'announced'
in the paper from time to time, in order to clear up any outstanding debts, etc. But by then, all of the sharks are alerted and the deals get snagged quickly.
Is there any public record of probate cases that can be searched? I asked the local court clerk and she gave some vague, snotty answer that made no sense at all. (Not surprised, they're generally miserable toads.)
Any ideas?
Yes you can by researching probate filings at the probate court.
[addsig]
Generally any filings with the probate clerk are publicly viewable, often by their PCs in their offices these days.
A trip to your courthouse would teach you a lot about the local probate court, its clerk's office, how they make their filings available to public.
In the old days, pre-computer, a researcher just went to the shelves and drug down a big looseleaf book in which ALL files were indexed, to see the details of what each and every file contained...then, with a file number, you'd ask the clerk to pull that file for you to check for particulars.
Nowadays, much of this is on the clerk's publicly usable PC for your benefit.
I have done probate letters before. Paid someone to go the courthouse to pull the probate records. Most counties in FL do not have probate information available over the Internet.
And - expect to get lots of angry phone calls. I have written thousands of letters and probate letters are the worse for getting angry calls. You will get a person who calls you an ambulance chaser about every 40 letters.
brenda
Thanks all.
Brenda: Indeed, 'angry calls' is a risk we all take.
I'm not a bandit sign guy, but would imagine they get tones of angry calls.
Will continue my probate research and get back to you all, if I find an 'easy' method.
W