Property Title & Ownership Problem Resource Center Title & Ownership

Someone Else Claims They Own My Property. What Should I Do?

Published 2026-09-13 Last reviewed 2026-09-13 By Lisa C Hamilton, REALTOR®

Act Now, Help First

Another person claims they own your property. Do not assume they are lying or that they must be right. Preserve evidence, get the documents, and obtain professional title and legal review. No self-help: no retaliatory deeds, no forging corrections, no altering records.

Contact the appropriate servicer, attorney, title professional or authorities immediately. Do not ignore notices or delay on the basis of an article.

Quick Answer

If another person claims an ownership interest in your property, do not assume either that they are obviously lying or that they must be right. Preserve evidence and obtain professional title and legal review.

Current Nevada Law: Subject to Verification

Ownership claims are fact-specific and can involve deeds, inheritance, divorce, trusts, contracts, boundaries, fraud, or prior owners. This article is educational information, not legal advice. Only a qualified Nevada real estate attorney can determine the legal significance of a claim. Do not record retaliatory or forged documents, and do not take self-help action. If you have title insurance, contact your insurer promptly if the claim may fall within coverage.

First: What Is the Claim Based On?

Ask:

  • Deed?
  • Inheritance?
  • Divorce?
  • Trust?
  • Contract?
  • Boundary issue?
  • Fraud?
  • Prior owner?

Get the Documents

Do not argue only from memory. Obtain the current deed, prior deeds, title policy, recorded claims, and estate or trust documents where relevant.

If Someone Recorded a Deed

Get a certified or official copy.

If you did not sign or authorize it, treat possible deed fraud seriously.

If This Is an Heir Dispute

Estate and probate law may control.

If This Is a Boundary Claim

A survey and property-law analysis may be necessary.

Do Not Self-Help

Do not forge corrective documents, record retaliatory deeds, alter records, or remove someone physically without understanding your rights.

Quiet Title

Some ownership disputes ultimately require a quiet title or other court process. Not all do.

Title Insurance

If you have an owner's title policy, contact the insurer promptly if the claim may fall within the policy's coverage.

Property DNA

Property DNA can provide useful early property and ownership research. But a report cannot adjudicate ownership.

How Lisa Helps

If you are trying to sell, Lisa can help determine current market value, sale strategy, and timing while legal and title professionals resolve ownership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can someone claim my home because they paid taxes?

Ownership questions are fact-specific and require legal analysis. Paying taxes alone does not automatically establish ownership.

Does possession equal ownership?

Not automatically. Ownership is determined by the facts and law, not possession alone.

Should I call the police?

Suspected fraud or criminal conduct may justify law-enforcement reporting, while civil ownership disputes often also require legal counsel.

Can I still list the home?

Possibly, but unresolved ownership can prevent closing. Tell Lisa and your title professional early.

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Lisa C Hamilton, REALTOR® with THE Brokerage, A Real Estate Firm®

Reviewed by

Lisa C Hamilton, REALTOR®, NV License S.168195

Lisa C Hamilton is a Las Vegas Valley REALTOR® affiliated with THE Brokerage, A Real Estate Firm®, helping buyers, sellers, investors, and relocating clients across Clark County and Greater Las Vegas. Lisa is not an attorney, escrow officer, title insurer, notary, CPA, lender, foreclosure consultant, mortgage servicer, tax adviser, bankruptcy professional, or HOA lien authority. She handles market value, listing strategy, sales timeline, seller-net analysis, as-is sale evaluation, buyer negotiation, and transaction coordination. Lenders and servicers control loan documents, assumption approval, release-of-liability, and funding procedures; escrow and title professionals control the settlement accounting, recorded title matters, and insurability; notaries perform notarization only as authorized; and attorneys and legal counsel handle powers of attorney, probate and estate authority, trust authority, entity authority, and any legal conclusions about ownership or title validity.

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Lisa C Hamilton is a Nevada REALTOR®, not an attorney, escrow officer, title insurer, notary, CPA, lender, foreclosure consultant, mortgage servicer, tax adviser, bankruptcy professional, or HOA lien authority. Nothing here is legal, tax, title, or financial advice, and no outcome is guaranteed. Always verify current Nevada law and the specific facts of your situation with a qualified Nevada attorney, title professional, escrow professional, lender, servicer, and tax adviser.