Siblings who won't agree, a house still in mom's name, an heir who won't leave — here's what's really going on and what your options are.
Your mom passed. Or your dad, your uncle, your grandmother. And now there's a house — and you're not the only one who inherited it.
Maybe it's you and two siblings. Maybe it's six cousins scattered across three states. Maybe one of them lives in the house and won't talk about selling. Maybe nobody's paid the property taxes in two years and you just got a letter from the county.
You're not stuck because you did something wrong. You're stuck because inherited houses with multiple heirs are genuinely complicated — legally, financially, and emotionally. Here's what's actually going on, and what your options really are.
When someone dies owning a house, the house doesn't automatically belong to the heirs — not in a way you can sell. The title is still in the deceased person's name, and it stays there until someone takes legal steps to move it. That surprise alone stalls most families for months or years. (Our probate guide explains how that process works.)
Add multiple heirs, and every decision needs agreement — or at least a legal path around disagreement. Add grief, old family dynamics, distance, and unpaid bills, and you get what we see every week: a house sitting empty (or occupied by one heir), taxes piling up, and everyone waiting for someone else to deal with it.
This is the starting point for almost everyone. Until the title is transferred out of the deceased person's name — through probate, an affidavit process, or another legal mechanism depending on your state — nobody can sell the house, even if every heir agrees. The fix depends on the state, the value of the estate, and how long ago the person died. Some states have shortcuts for small estates; others require a full probate. Either way, it's solvable — it just takes someone to start it.
You want to sell. Your brother wants to keep it. Your sister won't return calls. This is the single most common reason inherited houses sit for years. Here's what most families don't know: one heir who wants out is not trapped. You have options even when the others won't cooperate — including selling just your share. (More on that below.)
A sibling moved in "temporarily" three years ago. They won't pay rent, won't maintain the place, and won't discuss selling. Meanwhile the rest of you are watching the property — and your inheritance — deteriorate. This is painful, and it's common. The living situation doesn't erase the other heirs' ownership rights, but untangling it takes a clear-eyed look at everyone's legal position.
Heirs in different states. An heir nobody's heard from in a decade. An heir who died, leaving their own heirs. Every missing or uncooperative person adds a layer, but it doesn't make the situation unsolvable — it just changes which legal path clears the title. See our guide to missing heirs and title problems.
Property taxes, insurance, the mortgage — when no single heir feels responsible, nothing gets paid. Delinquent taxes can lead to a tax sale. Lapsed insurance means one storm away from disaster. An unpaid mortgage heads toward foreclosure. Every month of inaction costs the family money, and it's the most expensive mistake we see.
You don't want to manage a house with your cousins. You don't want to wait two years for everyone to agree. You want your inheritance, in cash, and to move on with your life. That's a completely reasonable position — and it's exactly the situation we work with most.
If all heirs agree, this is the cleanest path: clear the title, sell the property, split the proceeds. We can buy it as-is for cash, which skips the repairs, showings, and months on market — useful when the house needs work or the family just wants it done.
If someone wants to keep the house, they can buy out the other heirs' shares. This needs an agreed price and financing — which is where these deals often stall.
If heirs can't agree, most states allow a partition action — a court process that divides or sells the property and splits the proceeds. It's a real legal right, but it's slow and expensive, and the legal fees come out of everyone's share.
In many states, you can sell your fractional interest in an inherited property without the other heirs' permission. You don't need their signature. You don't need a family meeting. This is what we do — we buy individual heirs' interests, then handle the title work and the other heirs ourselves. How selling a partial interest works.
We're not a traditional buyer, and we're not a law firm. We're a curative title company — we specialize in the messy middle between "everyone inherited this house" and "someone can actually sell it."
When you talk to us, here's what happens:
You don't need the other heirs to agree. You don't need to hire a lawyer first (though you're always welcome to). You just need to start the conversation.
To sell the whole house, generally yes — or a court has to order it. But to sell your share, usually no. Your fractional interest is yours to sell in most states.
Often yes — the title being in the deceased person's name is a curable defect, not a dead end. We deal with this constantly. The exact path depends on your state.
A missing heir complicates things but doesn't end them. There are legal processes for exactly this situation, and they vary by state. Talk to us before assuming nothing can be done.
We factor existing debts into our offer. Mortgages, tax liens, and judgments get resolved as part of the transaction — you don't have to clear them first.
Yes — a sale of your interest is a recorded transaction. We're straightforward about this: we don't do anything secret. But you don't need their permission or their signature.
Selling your share to us can close in weeks, not the months or years a full family agreement or partition takes. The timeline depends on the title situation, which we'll map out with you up front.
You're always welcome to have one, and for complex estates we'd encourage it. But you don't need to hire an attorney just to talk to us or get an offer.
Start here. Tell us the situation — mess and all. We've seen every version of this: the feuding siblings, the missing heir, the house nobody's touched in five years, the taxes nobody paid. There's almost always a path forward, and the first step is just a conversation.
General information only — not legal advice. Inheritance and title law vary by state; confirm specifics with a local attorney.
Related: Probate & inherited homes · Liens & title problems · Selling your share of a house
Tell us the situation and we'll walk you through every option — at no cost and with no obligation.