I guess local gov-co didn’t notice property taxes on the property going unpaid.
Yeah, that’s one reason I meantioned the mail. Not only would it tend to accumulate, but there were probably delinquent tax notices and maybe even threats regarding sheriff’s auction.
Um, we've had electronic bank deposits and auto-pay for at least 20 years now.
My property taxes come right out of my mortgage payments, which are withdrawn automatically each month, paid for with my salary that is electronically deposited twice each month. If he had a monthly pension and nobody knew he was dead, there's no reason he'd miss any payments on anything. Neighbors might start complaining of his unkempt lawn.
In some states, if you attain a certain age, you are exempt from property taxes.