So i've recently found the location of an abandoned whole foods that i would like to visit, but i saw on a site online that the building was purchased shortly after closing (although to my knowledge it is still empty) how would i check the ownership deeds? I heard of a website that could do that but i forgot the name.

thanks

Even abandoned buildings usually have owners technically. If there was land that was not owned by anyone, pirates could set up their own little republic there. Whether an owner exists is kind of an abstract consideration to me.

Everything is owned by somebody, or some business entity, somewhere down the line.

The word 'abandoned' is a misnomer in that regard, because nothing is even if it appears to be the case, the difference is how much care and attention the owners pay to their derelict properties.

alright thanks guys can't wait to check it out.

In a lot of US counties you might find something on the county auditor's site. That said, as others have mentioned above, everything has an owner...on paper.

Similar to what 1600 said, but typing up the the name of the county of place you want to explore, then "Assessment and Taxation" into your search engine might show you something interesting.
For example: "[Name] County Assessment and Taxation".

If you then copy and paste the address you're looking at into their website, you'll get some information on who the owners of the property are, if their bills and taxes are up to date, and possibly if they owners have another mailing address.

You might need to poke around a bit for the right place to paste the address into though. Sites differ in layout depending on what county it is.

Hope this helps! ^^

To clarify: I'm not sure if this would actually be helpful in determining if a property is abandoned or not (at least by the people who purchased it), but it might paint a better picture of the place and could be worth looking into.

GIS data showing back taxes owed, especially a couple years worth, is a good indicator. GIS in some counties will also show if properties have been cited for things like unkempt landscape, failure to shovel sidewalks, dumping, graffiti, and unsecured entry points. Once you find an owner's name, Circuit Court Access Programs (if you locale has an online database), will show properties in probate limbo and foreclosure.

Just Googling "*county name*, *state*, GIS" usually gets you to an interactive map where you can search or zoom and select properties. Some counties give more data than others. Most US counties have the data online. Note when Googling for GIS, there are 3rd party nationwide databases that will show in the results that require a fee. Generally the official and free county sites will have "ARC GIS", or some iteration thereof in the web addy.

Some CCAP exists online if you Google, but not near all. I.e.; WI, OH, MO, and FL for example all have statewide CCAP, MN has them by individual county, but not all counties participate. Circuit Court records are ALL public record and if there is no online access, you can request data at the court house, although there will probably be a small fee.

Also just Googling an address or property owner's name can sometime turn results that piece together a story and help you draw a conclusion, as can satellite and street images over time...

Posted by Calomel Similar to what 1600 said, but typing up the the name of the county of place you want to explore, then "Assessment and Taxation" into your search engine might show you something interesting. For example: "[Name] County Assessment and Taxation". If you then copy and paste the address you're looking at into their website, you'll get some information on who the owners of the property are, if their bills and taxes are up to date, and possibly if they owners have another mailing address. You might need to poke around a bit for the right place to paste the address into though. Sites differ in layout depending on what county it is. Hope this helps! ^^

thank you! gonna check this out next time

Posted by fr00tCake GIS data showing back taxes owed, especially a couple years worth, is a good indicator. GIS in some counties will also show if properties have been cited for things like unkempt landscape, failure to shovel sidewalks, dumping, graffiti, and unsecured entry points. Once you find an owner's name, Circuit Court Access Programs (if you locale has an online database), will show properties in probate limbo and foreclosure. Just Googling "*county name*, *state*, GIS" usually gets you to an interactive map where you can search or zoom and select properties. Some counties give more data than others. Most US counties have the data online. Note when Googling for GIS, there are 3rd party nationwide databases that will show in the results that require a fee. Generally the official and free county sites will have "ARC GIS", or some iteration thereof in the web addy. Some CCAP exists online if you Google, but not near all. I.e.; WI, OH, MO, and FL for example all have statewide CCAP, MN has them by individual county, but not all counties participate. Circuit Court records are ALL public record and if there is no online access, you can request data at the court house, although there will probably be a small fee. Also just Googling an address or property owner's name can sometime turn results that piece together a story and help you draw a conclusion, as can satellite and street images over time...

thank u this is very helpful !