can a county seize property when the state has it seized already?

Question

Property was seized in 1989 by the state grand jury. another county sold it at a tax sale in 1990 taxes were paid on the property till 1991. was not released by the state till 1992.
but the property has been sold now with a new house and nobody can do anything about it.. I can't seem to find a lawyer to repersent me so I went to court alone for him to tell me we need a lawyer & the case was was to continue at a later date. Still NO LAWYER!!!! What do I do?

Answer 1

You definitely need an attorney, if for no other reason than to explain to you what actually happened in this case. A grand jury CAN'T seize anything. The county would not have sold the property in 1990 if the taxes were paid though 1991. Because property taxes attach to the property, not the owner, the county does not care who owns the property if the taxes are not paid.

The ONLY thing I can tell for sure from your question is that YOU have no more idea what is going on than I do.

Answer 2

Go to the state bar association website and search for a link to Lawyer Referrals. There may also be links to legal aid or, if not, they'll tell you how to find it. It may be difficult to obtain free counsel for a civil property claim, however. If so, gather a list of potential attorneys from the bar association and ask each is s/he has a sliding fee scale and/or if s/he would willing to act pro bono (usually a percentage of the win IF they win). If no, ask if s/he can refer you to a colleague who might.

There may also be a law students' advice program in your area. Ask at the local law schools.

Good luck, my friend. It sounds like you've been broadsided by the Evil Empire. If it's any consolation, we Frostbacks find American forfeiture laws beyond Dickensian!

Ed.

Answer 3

The State always takes precedent over a county. Keep looking and find a lawyer. There are many hungry lawyers out the seeking an easy buck! Good hunting.