Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Texas

Property Rights.

To Whom This May Concern:

We are partial owners of real estate, basically heirs. The taxes are deliquent and we want to obtain full rights to the property. We have been acting as actual owners to this property and maintaing the upkeep. This past year we haven't cut the grass because the other owners don't want anything to do with this, but also won't sign over their rights. I would like to know, is adverse possession possible, or would there be another way to remove an entity from having rights to this title. The property is located in Tarrant County and the other owners (who are my counsins) live in Denver.

Thanks for your help,


Asked on 7/20/07, 12:56 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Kathryn Perales PMI Oil Tools

Re: Property Rights.

Adverse possession would not be possible as a practical matter.

There is a lawsuit which you can file to ask the judge to force the other owners to sell their interests to you, since they have not paid their portion of the property taxes.

You could also file a partition lawsuit, the end result of which would either be division of the property, or a sale of the property to the highest bidder, which could be you.

These options will both require an attorney's help, and will likely cost thousands of dollars.

The most economical thing to do, though you may have already tried, would be to offer to buy the others' interests. Even paying an inflated value, and just swallowing the taxes and maintenance expense you have already paid, would probably be cheaper than engaging in one of the above described lawsuits.

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Answered on 7/20/07, 4:45 pm


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