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 Angelina County has ended up in a tax lawsuit with your name on it, the questions that come with it are normal. A lot of people we hear from didn’t know they were connected to the property at all.
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 people frequently 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 Angelina County, taxes run through the Angelina County Tax Assessor-Collector (211 E. Shepherd Ave., Lufkin, TX 75901; 936-634-8376), property values are set by the Angelina County Appraisal District, and the case is on record with the Angelina 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 everyone else to agree.
A couple of questions we hear a lot in Angelina County:
Nobody in the family really wants the property. Is selling my share the cleanest way out? For many people it is. Selling your portion takes your name off the lawsuit and the property, and it doesn’t depend on the rest of the family agreeing on anything.
Do I need to track down the other heirs before I sell? No. Selling your own share doesn’t require you to find or coordinate with anyone else in the family.
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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