Claiming ownership of a house

I have just discoverd that my old family home has been vacant for some time, the owner has died and has no family. My family were the previous owners as I have the building society books to prove this. Is there any way or how do I go about claiming this vacant property.

anybody got any advice would be appreciated.

thanks
A

How do you reckon that you would be entitled to claim ownership ?? The building society books don't mean a damn thing. The ownership of the property lies with the names on the Title documents. Are you based in Ireland ??

I haven't a clue on this one, but there are some questions arising.
What's the history of ownership?
Just because your family once lived there and paid bills there, why should you have a claim to press regarding the ownership?
Was not the house legally sold to the person who recently passed away?
Was it sold directly to them by your family, or were there intervening titleholders?
In the case of a legal sale, or legal repossession by a bank and sell-on, it would seem as though you have no claim to ownership above anyone else.
More importantly, if the recent owner mortgaged the house, and the mortgage was still outstanding, the deeds will be with the mortgaging firm, a bank possibly.
Of course the mortgage may be paid, but the deeds may still rest in a bank vault and who is left to dispute them.
Similarly, the mortgage may be paid, but the deeds are with the recent owner's solicitor.
In fact you may just have uncovered how a bank or a solicitor may acquire certain kinds of property...
Seriously, though, most people make a will.
Unless the recent owner left it to you in the will, you have no claim, if my assumptions above are correct.
Dunno what happens if the recent owner died intestate and held the deeds.
Its possible that after a certain time of no relatives or other legal successors in title coming forward the property will revert to the state.

paula eliza said:

I have just discoverd that my old family home has been vacant for some time, the owner has died and has no family.

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If the previous owner died intestate (without a valid Will), with absolutely no surviving relatives, then the house goes to the State. Definitely not the previous owners!

paula eliza said:

Is there any way ...

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Prove you are the closest living relative!

Check out details of 'adverse possession'.

Just because it's vacant it doesn't mean you have rights over it.

The only people with current legal rights over it are the next of kin of the deceased legal owner. If there are none, the State is the ultimate successor.

If you have been using the property adversely to the interest of the legal owner for more than 12 years, you MIGHT have the right to bar the legal title and claim a squatters title. The fact that you have said it's vacant means you obviously haven't been using it, so realistically this is not open to you.

Escheated estate legislation whereby the property reverts to the State will kick in long before any adverse possession claim can be made.

The best way for you to claim ownership is to find out who the beneficiaries of the deceased owners estate are and to buy it from them. If no beneficiaries, then buy it from the State.