Bedford, TX asked in Real Estate Law for Texas

Q: The house I live in is in an estate, can I have the title transferred into my name . I have paid the taxes for 14 years

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1 Lawyer Answer

A: I assume you mean the title is in the estate of a deceased. In that case, title of the house can only be transferred to the heir of the estate. Is there a will? If there is one, then you need to look at the will and see to whom the deceased gave the house to. If there is no will, then someone will have to ask the court to determine who is the proper heir to this house based on the state law. Just living In the house and paying taxes do not give you the legal ownership. If it is determined that someone else is the true owner of the house, you may have a claim against the true owner on the money that you have spent in the house over the last 14 years. But then the owner may also have a right to ask you for back rent. As you can see, it can be quite complicated. The best way to tackle it is to hire a probate (not a real estate) attorney to help you.

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