How can I found out more info about a vacant house on my block?

[need4speed2012]

How Do We Find Owner Of Vacant Lot Next Door? | Bankrate.com

[bpollen]

Originally Posted by hominamad

Hi, hoping some people on this board might be able to help with this. We moved into our house about 5 years ago, and a few days after we moved in, the family in the house across the street moved out. They bought the house in 2006 at a price that was way too high, and I guess were not able to hold the mortgage.

The house has been vacant since then (5 years now) and is starting to fall into disrepair. Myself and a few other neighbors are trying to figure out what's going on with it. Some websites have listed the house as in pre-foreclosure for the last 3 or 4 years. How can it be in pre-foreclosure for this long? I think that as the house sits, it is becoming more and more dilapidated, to the point where I can't see how a bank, or anyone would be able to ever sell it? I've heard there may be serious problems with the foundation. The utility companies have removed all cables to the house long ago.

Any idea of what will likely happen to this house? Does anyone have any ideas of how to get more information about the status of the property?

Thanks!

H

You don't want to just find the owner and what's going on, since it's been so long. You want it taken care of a resolved.

Enter the politicians. That's what they're there for. Call your City Councilman for your district. He/she probably has a website with phone numbers and email addresses, if you want to email instead. Call the Mayor's office & express your and your neighbors' concerns.

Tell them that you and other neighbors are concerned because the house is falling into disrepair because it's been abandoned for about 5 years. You're concerned about property values in the neighborhood, as well as possible safety hazards (gas leaks, varmints, attraction to kids playing, attraction for homeless squatters).

See if one of them can find out something and possibly even resolve it.

[ocngypz]

If the property is a rat-trap.....go to the Building Inspector's office and file a formal complaint along with your neighbors. I'm assuming there is no HOA.

Are we talking about dirty and overgrown...........or are we talking broken windows, missing siding, holes in the roof?

[cully]

So, you still can't find any owner of record? A lis pendens is common. When a home is entering foreclosure, the lender will file a lis pendens, notifying anyone who might have an interest in the property that there is a lawsuit aginst it.