Did he own the property outright or still mortgaged?
Sad to see some here with the Lib tactic, “I believe in property Rights, unless/but...”
Ah, the joys of central planning and no longer OFFICIALLY owning anything (just renting. AKA ‘property taxes’)
Unanswered correspondence over a period of years could just possibly make someone believe that the owner was dead with no heirs. Unclaimed lands have reverted to government ownership for millenniums.