QUESTION: Dear Legal Wiz,

My dad died and I know he had a title, as he was paying tax. I saw the tax papers with his name on it. He left a will, and my sisters went to Jamaica to get a copy of title, as we are getting the will probated in Court. The title office told us that there is no title in my dad’s name. We want to know what is going on? We want to know if our dad’s wife took the property for herself. Can you help?

Sandy Marie

RESPONSE: Dear Sandy Marie,

Our team members can assist you with investigating what is happening, and acting further as will become necessary. However there are a few pointers you must bear in mind. The fact that your dad was paying taxes does not mean that there was a title for the property, and you have not said why you are convinced that a title exists in his name. There are varying explanations for a title not showing up in the name of the person you thought owned the title. The title could exist in another person’s name, which in this case could be your dad’s wife. You have not indicated whether a search was done for a title in your dad’s wife name. If it is, it still does not necessarily mean that your step mother would have taken the property. Our first step in assisting you further would be some information gathering on whether a title in fact exists, and in whose name if such title exists. Then based on our findings other actions would follow. One possible course of action is that an application could need to be done.

Legal Wiz