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How to Find Who Owns a Property in Louisiana

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Finding out who owns a property in Louisiana doesn’t have to be difficult. This guide outlines the steps you can take to quickly and easily identify the owner of a particular piece of property.

Gather Public Records.

Gather public records from parish assessors’ offices and other local government agencies to begin the search process. This information can help you narrow down your list of potential owners by providing necessary details about the property, such as its address, square footage, purchase price, year of the sale, and more. With this information in hand, you can then cross-reference those details with public ownership records to identify the current owner of a particular piece of property in Louisiana.

In Louisiana, the public records you will need to access can typically be found at the local parish assessor’s office or other parish-owned websites. As many of these records are not always available online, you may have to visit your local government offices in person. For example, if the property you are trying to find the owner for is located in Alexandria, then you will need to visit the Rapides Parish Tax Assessor’s office to begin your search. 

Depending on the area, you may also have to pay a small fee for access to view certain records. If possible, call ahead of time to get an idea of what kind of information can be provided and any associated costs. Once you have obtained the public records, you can then reference various public databases and property owner search tools which are designed to help give specific details about a particular piece of real estate. With this information in hand, you’ll be able to identify who currently owns land parcels so that you can better position yourself as a potential buyer or tenant.

Use Tax Assessor’s Office Online Database.

One of the best ways to find out who owns a property in Louisiana is to utilize the state’s tax assessor’s office online database. I personally use the tax assessor’s website for each individual parish when I’m searching for property owners. This searchable tool makes it easy for you to identify details about any given piece of property in Louisiana, including ownership information. All you have to do is enter the address of the property and the online database will deliver all pertinent details about it, such as when it was sold, donated, or obtained in a succession. Nearly all parishes in Louisiana have a parish tax assessor website where you can search for property. 

You can also find out the owner’s name by submitting a public records request to the local government officials in charge of property records. They will scan their databases and provide you with all relevant information regarding the ownership and sale history of a property. The process is generally not too difficult, but it may take some time before you get your hands on any results that you’re after. Additionally, most local governments charge fees for such requests, so be sure to check with your county or city before submitting your request.

Visit the Local Parish Tax Assessor’s Office in Person.

Alternatively, you can also find out who owns a property in Louisiana by visiting the parish tax assessor’s office in person. This can be helpful if you are unable to find the property owner online, the parish does not have a website, or you simply prefer to have an employee do the search for you. When you arrive at the office, simply provide them with the address of the property and they should be able to provide you with all of its ownership details, as well as other pertinent information such as recent purchases and sales prices.

You may need to dig deeper and search the physical books to find the owner of the property as some tax assessor offices will not help you or they are too busy to assist you with your search. There are also other situations where the owner of the property may be contested so you may need to refer to the physical books for more information. 

Visiting the local parish tax assessor’s office in person can help to provide you with additional information that may not be available online. By speaking directly with the staff at the office, they may be able to provide you with any relevant dates of previous sales, details on potential liens or mortgages attached to the property, as well as other essential information pertinent to who currently owns the property and their contact details.

Speak with a Realtor.

Realtors and real estate agents deal with property daily and can help you do a quick search to find details on any property in Louisiana. It is a good idea to have a working relationship with a great realtor, especially if you plan to invest in real estate.

Contact a Real Estate Attorney or Succession Attorney.

Real estate and succession or probate attorneys can provide you with information related to who owns a property in Louisiana. They have access to public records, as well as databases of sales and ownership information, which they can use to look into the current owner of any real estate in the state. Many probate attorneys use the tax assessor’s website on a daily basis and can quickly do a search for you. 

If you need to confirm the exact ownership history of a piece of real estate, an attorney is the best person to contact. He or she can access databases and other public records that will provide reliable information about who owned a property at any given time. Furthermore, an experienced attorney may also be able to provide guidance on how to move forward with your search if the current owner cannot be identified.

One of the best steps you can take is to submit a search request through your local real estate attorney. This process involves submitting a document that will provide all tax records and other information related to the property. Your attorney will make sure that the necessary research is conducted in order to find out who owns or owned it at any given time within the stated time frame. Along with providing information about the current or past property owners, this search may also uncover other useful items like liens, encumbrances, and boundaries.

Hire an Abstractor

If you are unsure who legally owns a property or there is confusion regarding a property, you can hire an abstractor to research it for you. They search property records to verify legal owners and property descriptions. Abstractors are extremely knowledgeable about property records and can save you a great deal of time and stress. Once their research is complete, they will prepare an abstract which is a document that shows the history and ownership of a particular property. 

In Conclusion: 

There are numerous ways to find out who owns a property in Louisiana that range from searching online, going to the tax assessor’s office in person, or hiring someone to do the search for you. Either way, the process is important if you want to know who legally owns a property.