Questions we get asked.
Starting with the one everybody thinks and most people are too polite to say out loud.
Is this a scam?
It is the right question, and asking it out loud is the correct instinct. Here is how to check rather than guess. Everything we say about a property can be verified against public records you can pull yourself for free — the county property appraiser and the clerk of court both publish online. Every legal point on this site links to the statute so you can read the text instead of trusting our summary. And the simplest test of all: we never ask you for money, a deposit, a fee, or your bank details, at any stage. If anyone claiming to be us does, it is not us.
How did you get my name and number?
From public records and from the same commercial people-search databases anybody can subscribe to. When a recorded owner has died and nothing has been filed since, we look for the people the law would expect to have an interest — usually a spouse, children, parents or siblings — and then for a current address and phone number. No part of that involves anything you gave us, because you never gave us anything.
What if I am not actually an heir?
Then we will find that out, tell you, and stop. This happens often — the process that produced your name is educated guesswork and it is wrong a great deal of the time. You will owe us nothing for the time it took.
What does it cost me?
Nothing. No consultation fee, no retainer, no filing fee, no administrative charge, nothing deducted at the end and nothing invoiced afterwards. We retain and pay the probate attorney and we pay the court costs, the filing, recording and title expenses. If the work goes nowhere, that money stays lost to us.
Then how do you make money?
We acquire an interest in the property and we are paid out of that. We are a private company, not a charity — the service is free to you, which is a different thing and we would rather be precise about it. The specific terms are set out in figures in a written agreement, explained to you, and handed to you to read before you sign.
How much is my share worth?
Nobody can honestly tell you that from a letter, and you should be wary of anyone who tries. It depends on how many owners are on the deed, who has died since, whether a spouse holds a life estate, what is owed in taxes and assessments, what liens attached along the way, and what a court will recognise. What we can tell you is the order: we pull the records, we show you what we found and what we believe it can realistically pay, and only then does anything get signed.
Do I need a lawyer?
You are entitled to one at every stage and we would encourage it. We are not a law firm and nothing we say is legal advice. The probate attorney we retain acts in the matter, not as your personal counsel — which is precisely why having your own is sensible. Bring them onto the first call if you like.
Do I have to tell the rest of the family?
No. You can speak to us privately and decide on your own. You are equally free to bring everyone in, and some families prefer to do it that way. It is your call.
I cannot find the reference number on my letter.
It does not matter. Send us your details without it, or call and give us your name — whoever picks up can find the file. The number only saves you describing the property from scratch.
The property is nowhere near me. Does that matter?
No. Heirs are scattered and that is normal. Everything can be done remotely, and being out of state does not weaken whatever interest you have.
The person who died owed money. Am I liable?
Inheriting does not make you personally liable for a dead person's debts. Debts are paid out of the estate, and in Florida claims against an estate are barred two years after the death. What survives is whatever is attached to the property itself — taxes, assessments, liens — and those come out of the property, not out of you. Talk to an attorney about your own circumstances.
Someone is living in the house.
Tell us early, because it changes everything about how a matter is handled and we would rather know on the first call than the last. It does not stop us looking at it.
I want you to stop contacting me.
Say so and we stop. Tell whoever you are speaking to, reply STOP to any text, use the Do Not Contact page, or call 1-866-401-5151. You do not have to give a reason and we will not ask for one.
If your question is not here, ask it — 1-866-401-5151 or send it in writing.