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Worrisome Land |
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Dear Edith: Years ago my father left a piece of property to me. It is just land between two homes. I asked my broker to check with the neighbors to see if anyone was interested in buying it but no one was. I recently drove by and saw that the neighbor had built a tree house on the land. What should I do? I really would like to get rid of the property so I don't have to pay taxes on it. |
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Who is liable if someone is injured falling out of that tree house? I don't know. It's time to consult a lawyer, preferably one who specializes in real estate, and perhaps an insurance agent also. If you want to avoid the remote chance your neighbor might go to court after a number of years asking for ownership, you must to take some action, either allowing his usage or forbidding it. This will be more impressive if it comes from your lawyer, who might also suggest that you're ready to sell. But if you're ready to simply abandon the land, why not offer to sign it over to the neighbor? Or else talk with your attorney about what would happen if you simply stop paying the taxes. Often the town or city takes the property with no consequences to the owner. |
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Edith
Originally published on June 18, 2005 |
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