Yes, You Can Lose Your Property — And Not Even Know It

8 Ways Missouri Landowners Lose Land Without Realizing It

Most people believe losing property only happens if you stop paying a mortgage or ignore tax bills.

In reality, some of the most expensive problems I see in Missouri land ownership happen quietly — often to people who fully believe everything is fine.

They don’t get a warning letter.
They don’t get a phone call.
They find out when they try to sell.

That’s usually when I get involved — and sometimes, by then, the options are limited.

Recently, I was working with an out-of-state landowner who hadn’t physically been on his Missouri property in years. As we prepared to list, I noticed personal property placed on the land and a section of the yard that had clearly been groomed and maintained by someone else.

That’s not just a curiosity.
In Missouri, if that goes on long enough, it can turn into a legal issue.

That situation is what pushed me to write this — because land can be lost quietly, without foreclosure, without lawsuits, and sometimes without the owner realizing anything is wrong.

Here are eight very real ways Missouri landowners lose property — or come dangerously close — without realizing it.

1. Adverse Possession: When “No One Meant Any Harm” Isn’t a Defense

Missouri recognizes adverse possession under specific conditions, and it shows up most often with:

• Out-of-state owners

• Vacant or inherited land

• Long-term “friendly” neighbor arrangements

Trailers, fencing, mowing, access roads, equipment storage — these things matter. And time matters even more.

If no one is monitoring the property or objecting, ownership can be challenged years later — often discovered only when a buyer, lender, or title company raises questions.

2. Buying Land Without Truly Knowing What You Bought (Why Surveys Matter)

This one is more common than people like to admit.

I’ve seen buyers purchase property assuming:

• The fence line was correct

• The driveway was theirs

• The acreage “looked about right”

Without a current survey, those assumptions can unravel fast.

Encroachments, boundary disputes, and access issues don’t usually show up while you’re enjoying the land — they show up when you try to sell, subdivide, or finance it.

A survey isn’t just paperwork.
It’s clarity and protection.

3. Title Fraud: Quiet, Fast, and Often Missed

Title fraud is real — and vacant land is a favorite target.

Fraudsters record deeds, transfers, or liens hoping no one is paying attention. Often, they’re right.

Here’s what most landowners don’t know:
👉 Most Missouri county recorders offer free property alert systems that notify you if anything is recorded against your name or parcel.

Almost no one uses them — until they wish they had.

4. Probate Across State Lines: When “We Already Did Probate” Isn’t Enough

This is one of the hardest lessons families face.

I worked with an out-of-state family who completed probate in their home state after their mother passed — assuming everything was handled.

It wasn’t.

Missouri required a separate probate process to transfer the farm. The sale stopped completely while everything was reopened.

To make matters worse, they had to locate a distant family member who was homeless in Texas — and ultimately pay him to sign just to clear title and move forward.

No one expects this.
But it happens more often than you think.

5. Not Having a Trust (This Deserves Its Own Category)

This is separate from divorce. Separate from heirs. Separate from “we’ll figure it out later.”

When property is not held in a properly structured trust, landowners and their families can face:

• Lengthy probate

• Forced delays in selling

• Estate recovery exposure

• Family conflict at the worst possible time

I see people assume trusts are only for the wealthy. That assumption ends up costing families far more than the trust ever would have.

6. Medicaid, Medical Bills & Estate Recovery

This is one of the most misunderstood risks — especially for aging landowners.

If property is not structured correctly, long-term care costs and Medicaid estate recovery can attach to real estate after death. Families are often blindsided, believing land will simply pass down to heirs.

Instead, they discover the state has a claim.

This isn’t about fear.
It’s about planning before there’s no leverage left.

7. Divorce, Heirs & Unclear Ownership

Deaths without updated deeds
Divorces where property was never properly addressed
Multiple heirs assuming “someone else handled it”

Land doesn’t care what people meant to do — only what’s recorded.

By the time a sale is attempted, cleanup can be expensive, emotional, and slow — and sometimes deals fall apart entirely.

8. Missed Tax Bills & Administrative Drift

This one feels small — until it isn’t.

Old mailing addresses
Assumptions that taxes were paid
Personal property tax confusion

Unpaid taxes don’t just disappear. They compound. And they almost always surface when someone tries to sell or transfer property.

Most land loss doesn’t happen overnight.
It happens through quiet neglect.

Why I’m Sharing This

I’m not writing this to scare anyone.

I’m sharing it because land is often a family’s largest asset, and I see too many owners learn these lessons at the worst possible moment — when they have no leverage and limited options.

Owning land isn’t just about having a deed.
It’s about having a plan.

If you own property — especially if you live out of state, inherited land, or are nearing retirement — you should have a Property Protection Plan, not just paperwork in a drawer.

What’s Coming Next

Over the coming weeks, I’ll break each of these down in detail using real Missouri scenarios and practical steps landowners can take before problems arise.

If you’re unsure about your situation, that’s exactly the right time to ask questions — before you’re forced into answers.

Want my complete guide to protecting your land? Get the full breakdown with real scenarios and action steps:

📞 Questions about protecting your Missouri land? Contact Kelly Johnston at KW Lifestyles & Land for a free consultation. Call or text to discuss your specific situation.