How to Find Out Who Owns a Property

A call to your town hall or a mouse click can turn up a name.

You can search for the owner of a particular property a number of ways. Each city or town has a tax assessor who evaluates the homes, businesses and land in the town, and determines the tax on each property. Every piece of real estate in a city or town is included in the “assessor rolls,” and you can use them to learn who owns a property. You also can learn the name of a property owner by viewing the deed to a particular piece of real estate or by reading the town’s voter list.

Instructions

1. Call the town hall in the city where the property is located, and ask for the assessor’s or city clerk’s office. Ask a person in that office where the list of the town’s property rolls is located.

2. Conduct an online search for the list of assessed properties, which often is included on a city's website. Type such phrases as “property tax” or “tax assessor” into the search bar of the city's website to find the list.

3. Look through the city’s voter list, which can be found at the town hall.

4. Enlist the services of a commercial search company if you would rather not spend the time looking for the information yourself.

Tips & Warnings

• Not everyone registers to vote, and sometimes a property is rented, so these lists may be limited.

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish
• Read this Article in UK English
• NYC Finance: Property Address Search