Expert: liznarr - 8/27/2007

Question
how might i go about looking up on the internet who owns a particular house which is sitting vacant.

Answer
Hi Sarahjo,

The best way would be to look it up on your county’s online website (or, in some states, the parish).

To find your county’s official site, you can go to Google or another search engine, and type in the words, “(______County) + (State).”  From the list of hits returned, you will be looking for the official county site.  From there, you want to end up at the Registry of Deeds, Clerk of Court, Online records, or however a particular county might have ownership records listed.

Most sites will allow you to simply enter an address; others might require an identifying number such as a tax map number.  If you cannot obtain this online, call the county offices with the address and ask for the ID number.  It’s public information, and an employee will probably be glad to look up the tax identifying number for you.

You can also search through Assessor or Tax records by name or address.  You’ll just have to maneuver around in the site until you find the way to get what you are looking for.

If your county’s records are not online, you can go to a reverse address and/or reverse phone number site and search the address or phone number for ownership.  Keep in mind, however, that these records may not be accurate or up to date, but it’s a starting point.

With a vacant home, if it has possibly been foreclosed on, it might be more difficult to determine the current owner online.  If you do not find what you need online, call or visit your county office and ask for help.

I hope the above helps you find what you are looking for.  If not, and you have additional questions, please feel free to write again.

Regards,
Elizabeth