My sons grandfather passed in 2015 and left his home to my son in his will. We've been living here since before he passed with him and continued to live here after. Two guys came walking into my house through the front door last week with the keys to the lock claiming they bought it in a sheriff sale and they are the new owners. I am at a total loss of where to go from here and just need a professional opinion.
It appears that you know you have no title to the property to start with, and you were just occupying the premises. If you actually think you might have a legitimate interest in the property, then hire a competent attorney to conduct a Title Search. Then you might consider filing a Quiet Title, Ejectment, or other appropriate Action to establish your Title. You or another Heir might also be able to redeem the property from the alleged Tax Sale.
You need to check whether the property taxes were paid on the property. I would check your local court house for liens against the property.
I agree that you need a “professional opinion,” which means that you should engage a lawyer to look into the situation and give you advice.
From your brief description, it sounds like there may have been a mortgage against the property, unpaid taxes or a judgment that was not paid, any one of which could have led to a sheriff’s sale. If the subject of the sale was created by the grandfather, it is possible that you would not have received notice. Indeed, if you never got a deed for the property from the estate, you probably would not have gotten notice.
On the other hand, the two men who walked in may not have been truthful. You might ask to see the relevant paperwork so that you can show it to the lawyer that you need to engage.
