Absentee owner
A property owner whose tax-bill mailing address differs from the property address, usually a landlord, an heir or an owner who moved away.
Definition
An absentee owner is a property owner whose mailing address on the tax roll is different from the property address. Most are landlords, heirs who never moved into an inherited house, or owners who relocated and kept the old home. Some live across town; others live in another state.
You find absentee owners by comparing the property address and the mailing address in county assessor or tax records. The mismatch alone does not mean the owner wants to sell. It matters more when it lines up with other records, such as delinquent taxes, code violations, evictions or a long hold with no refinance. An owner in another state cannot drive by the house and has to oversee repairs through a property manager or a contractor they may never meet. Check that the mailing address is current before you reach out, since tax bills sometimes go to an old address for years.
Read the guide
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