How estate planning attorneys request a property tax bill from clients
By Arthur Teboul, DokuTrak · Published
In short
Ask for the most recent property tax bill for every parcel the client owns, including land with no mortgage, rentals and property in other states. It shows the owner of record and the parcel number, which lead you to the recorded deed. Out-of-state property left outside the trust may need its own probate there.
Why estate planning attorneys need a property tax bill
A property tax bill is the quickest way to find every piece of real estate, even a paid-off home or a vacant lot. The owner of record and the parcel number let you pull the recorded deed, where the legal description and the way title is held actually live. Some states tie homestead or senior exemptions to the owner of record, so you want to see which exemptions appear before the new deed is recorded.
What exactly to ask for
The latest annual or semiannual bill for each parcel, the page with the parcel or APN number, the owner name and any exemptions. A download from the county treasurer or tax collector’s website is fine. Ask the client to include vacant land, a cabin in another state and any property inherited but never retitled.
What to check when it arrives
- The owner of record matches the names you expect on the deed, including a late spouse who may still be listed.
- The parcel number is complete, so you can find the recorded deed and its legal description.
- Any homestead or senior exemption is noted, so you can confirm it after the deed into the trust is recorded.
Email to send your client
Replace the bracketed parts. The same text fits in the message of a DokuTrak request (up to 1,000 characters).
Subject: Your property tax bills for your plan
Hi [Client name],
To make sure your plan covers all of your real estate, I would like a copy of the latest property tax bill for each property you own, including land, a rental or a place in another state.
The bill from your county’s website is perfect. I mainly need the page with the owner name and the parcel number, which helps me find the deed.
Could you send them by [date]? If a property is missing a bill, just tell me the address and the county, and I will look it up.
Thank you, [Your name]
Ask once. DokuTrak does the chasing.
- Your client uploads from one link, with no account and no password.
- Reminders go out on a schedule, by default 2, 5, 10 and 14 days after the request, until the file arrives.
- With AI review switched on in your workspace (it is off by default), each upload gets a first pass that flags a file that is not a property tax bill, an unreadable or blurry scan or a copy where one of these is missing or cut off: the taxpayer’s name, the property address. It says so when it is not sure.
- You accept every file or mark it for re-upload, and your client gets the note by email. The AI never accepts a file.