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 a family property in Collin County has landed you in a tax lawsuit, you’re not the only one caught off guard. As the area has grown, a lot of older family land has resurfaced in these cases, often with heirs who didn’t know they were involved.
For many people, the first contact is a constable or sheriff’s deputy at the door with a citation and an Original Petition. Having someone hand you legal papers in person is unsettling, and it’s easy to assume the worst. In these matters it’s usually just the standard way a civil case over unpaid property taxes begins. It isn’t a criminal charge, and it isn’t a scam.
The cause is usually a gap in probate. When an owner passes away and no probate is filed, their interest passes to the next of kin under Texas intestacy laws, while the county’s records still list the original owner. When the taxes fall behind, the suit is filed and the county researches the family tree to name the living heirs.
In Collin County, taxes run through the Collin County Tax Assessor-Collector (2300 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney, TX 75071; 972-547-5014), values are set by the Collin Central Appraisal District (250 W. Eldorado Pkwy., McKinney), and the case is on record with the Collin County District Clerk. All of it is public and easy to confirm.
From there, people generally resolve the lawsuit with an attorney, look into a payment arrangement, or sell their portion, which takes them out of the lawsuit without needing everyone else to agree.
A couple of questions we hear a lot in Collin County:
This was rural family land that’s now in a fast-growing area. Does that change my options? The growth can affect the property’s value, but the basics are the same. You own a share, and you can sell that share to step out of the lawsuit.
I had no idea I owned any part of it. How did that happen? Usually through intestacy. When a relative passed without probate, their interest passed down the family automatically, often without anyone being told.
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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