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 your name showed up on a tax lawsuit tied to a family property in Oldham County, the confusion is understandable. Many of the people we talk to had no idea they were connected to the property until the court papers arrived.
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 jarring, 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 cause is almost always 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. Once the taxes go unpaid long enough, the suit is filed and the county researches the family tree to name the living heirs.
In Oldham County, taxes run through the Oldham County Tax Assessor-Collector (105 S. Main St., Vega, TX 79092; 806-639-2109), property values are set by the Oldham County Appraisal District, and the case is on record with the Oldham 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 Oldham County:
It’s ranch land none of us use. Can I sell just my share? Yes. With an undivided interest, you own a share of the whole tract rather than a marked-off piece, and you can sell that share without the land being divided.
Once I sell, am I out of it? Yes. After your portion is sold and recorded, your name comes off the deed and the lawsuit, and the rest is no longer your responsibility.
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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