Ghost owners: homes still titled to an estate
In Jefferson County, AL, 3,827 homes (17.2 per 1,000) have an owner of record that reads like an estate or heirs. Counts by county and ZIP from official records, no addresses and no names.
Counties by estate-titled homes per 1,000
| County | Estate-titled homes | Per 1,000 homes | With unpaid tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County, AL | 3,827 | 17.2 | 25% |
| Dallas County, TX | 6,619 | 11 | 26% |
| Duval County, FL | 3,417 | 10.2 | 33% |
| Polk County, FL | 2,172 | 7.8 | 2.8% |
| Harris County, TX | 8,620 | 6.7 | 38% |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | 3,693 | 4.5 | 0.0% |
| Collin County, TX | 1,617 | 4.2 | 4.2% |
| Orange County, FL | 1,625 | 4 | 22% |
| Union County, NJ | 486 | 3.8 | 1.2% |
| Hillsborough County, FL | 1,596 | 3.6 | 31% |
How to read this
A count here is a floor, taken from words on the county's owner line such as 'estate of', 'heirs of' or 'deceased'. Counties that rarely use those words are left out rather than shown with a misleading low number.
Questions
What are ghost owners?
Homes whose owner of record on the county roll reads like an estate, heirs or a deceased person. The deed or the roll has not caught up. It is a pattern in records, not a claim about any person.
Why only some counties?
Counties type owner names differently. We show a county only when its records carry enough of these markers for the count to mean something.
Are addresses shown?
No. Public pages show counts by county and ZIP only.
How we make these guides
Written by the LeadCounty editorial and data team from official county, court and state sources and our own weekly counts. We name the office behind every number, say what we cannot see, and fix mistakes when you tell us. See our editorial standards and methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice. Refreshed weekly.
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