Note: BCP Real Estate is not a law firm and its employees/owners are not acting as your attorneys. The information contained on this website is provided for educational and informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice on any subject matter.
If you’ve been named in a lawsuit over a deceased relative’s unpaid property taxes, your first reaction is probably disbelief. You didn’t run up those taxes, you may have had nothing to do with the property, and yet here’s a lawsuit with your name on it. So the short answer is yes, you can end up named in a suit like this, but it’s important to understand what that actually means, because it’s far less alarming than it sounds.
When a property owner dies and the estate is never formally settled, the property passes to their heirs under Texas law. When the taxes on that property go unpaid, the taxing authorities file suit to collect, and they name the heirs they can identify as the current owners. That’s how your name ends up on it, not because you personally owe a debt you created, but because you’ve been identified as an owner of the property the taxes are tied to.
It’s also worth knowing this is a civil matter aimed at the property, not a criminal case against you. No one is coming after you personally in the way a creditor might. And you have a clean way out: because you only own a share, you can sell that share and remove your name from the lawsuit entirely, without keeping the property, paying its taxes yourself, or involving the other relatives.
A couple of quick questions:
Does being named mean I personally owe the taxes? The suit is aimed at collecting against the property, and you’re named because you’re an owner of it, not because you ran up a personal debt. An attorney can speak to your specific exposure, but selling your share removes you from the case.
Is this a criminal matter? No. It’s a civil lawsuit to collect unpaid taxes tied to the property, not a criminal charge against you.
If you’re looking to remove yourself from a lawsuit and get paid for your interest, no cost to you, call or text us at (469) 708-8003 for an offer today.
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