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 Guadalupe County has pulled you into a tax lawsuit, the confusion that comes with it is normal, especially in families where the property has been passed down through several generations.
Often the first contact is a constable or sheriff’s deputy at the door with a citation and an Original Petition. Being served in person is unsettling, and a lot of people assume it’s something more serious than it is. 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 usual cause is a gap in probate. When an owner passes away without probate, 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 go unpaid long enough, the suit is filed and the county researches the family tree to name the living heirs.
In Guadalupe County, taxes run through the Guadalupe County Tax Assessor-Collector (307 W. Court Street, Seguin, TX 78155; 830-379-2315), property values are set by the Guadalupe Appraisal District, and the case is on record with the Guadalupe County District Clerk. All of it is public and can be confirmed before you make any decision.
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 the rest of the family to agree.
A couple of questions we hear a lot in Guadalupe County:
We have generations of family tied to this and never sorted out the title. Where does that leave me? You likely hold an inherited share even if the title was never cleaned up. Selling that share is one way to step out, while the rest of the family decides what to do.
Someone offered me almost nothing once. Are the offers always that low? Offers vary a lot. They depend on the size of your share, the property’s value, and what it costs to clear the title, so it’s reasonable to ask how an offer was figured.
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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