You state that you are selling the house under a contract (i.e. Articles of Agreement for Deed a/k/a Lease to Own). The lessee/buyer has not followed through and now abandoned the property. You wish to know if there are any steps you should take before exercising control of the property.... View More

It is highly unlikely, as the doctrine of the statute of frauds will likely bar the contract you describe from being valid unless it is in writing. In any event, due to the amount at stake, I would recommend organizing all information relevant to this situation, and consulting with an attorney... View More

If your neighbors are setting off bombs and your safety is at issue, contact local law enforcement immediately. You can also file a complaint with local municipalities, and consider filing a lawsuit against them for nuisance and/or damage to your property.

Generally, the answer is no, they cannot destroy a wooded area that is on your property. However, in order to know for certain, one must review specific facts surrounding the situation. I would recommend taking pictures, and organizing all information relevant to this situation, and consulting... View More

Practically speaking, the only way that he can be removed from the house is if you can prove he has violated the Domestic Violence Act.

You are in a tough situation, and you need more than this Q & A forum can provide you. I sincerely believe that you would benefit from an in-person... View More

Based on your question, you should be able to sue for your investment and place a lien on the property (potentially a more effective way to go). Speak with a knowledgable local Attorney about how to make this happen.

In short, the answer depends on the terms of your Cohabitation Agreement, as well as State and local laws relating to how much notice is required to evict a tenant (f that is even applicable in this case). As a baseline, generally an unwritten tenancy is deemed to be "at suffrage" and... View More

No there isn't. Co-signing means that you agree to be legally responsible for the debt.

Pro rate the cost. In other words, divide $4,000 by the number of lots purchased to calculate the basis for each lot. Or, if you want to be more accurate, calculate the basis for each square foot purchased, and multiply that figure by the size of each lot. You might also want to use the assessed... View More

You are responsible for any owner-negligence when you receive the deed. But you should have insurance immediately to protect your interest; I doubt that the sheriff or the court is insuring the property.

If this is actually important enough to you, go see a local real estate attorney who will know the local set back lines and probably be familiar with similar cases in your jurisdiction. Your question requires specific knowledge to answer or time.

I gather that you and your first wife owned this building in common (and not as joint tenants with right of survivorship). If it was a tenancy-in-common, was your wife's estate probated? It may be necessary to probate her estate to put record-title in your name.

Whether your... View More

Ask the title company. Does that make sense to you?

In Illinois, no, the amount of time for achieving "adverse possession" is an open and conspicuous ownership for twenty consecutive years. Obviously, if you hold title to the property your ownership is more defined. There is some law that states if you have "color of title" and... View More

It is quite unusual for a seller to back out of a deal, which raises the question what reason the seller gave. In any event, assuming that the seller did not have the right to cancel the deal, the buyer can sue for specific performance, where the court would require the seller to sell to your... View More

This arrangement is not unusual, but the agreement needs to have protections built in for you. You should not sign an agreement without having it reviewed by an attorney who is looking out for you.

Generally debt and mortgages can be assigned. This is very common.

One important question is who owns the property? Is it still in the estate, or did it automatically pass to the heirs upon the death of the owner? If the heris own it, the listing agreement should be signed by the heirs.

It depends. If you are filling out the forms for yourself, in your own transaction, then of course it is perfectly legal. Generally, you cannot, however, fill out real estate forms for others, not even simple fill-in the blank forms, unless you are a licensed real estate salesperson, broker, or... View More

The small estate affidavit does not have to be notarized. It does need to be signed "under penalty of perjury."

As far as whether you need to file it at the courthouse, it depends on what you want to use it for. Most of the time, you simply provide it to whatever institution you... View More