Ask SAM: If I pay the taxes, can I have the property?
Q: I have been paying the taxes on a house for 15 years, and the owner has been deceased for that long. I heard that if you pay taxes on a house for a period of time the house is yours. I need to know if that is true. I do live in the house. O.B. Answer: John T. Burgiss, the Forsyth County Tax Assessor / Collector, said that is not the case. âUnfortunately, you have been misinformed regarding such cases in North Carolina. Paying someone else's North Carolina property tax bill does not entitle you to an ownership interest in the property.â