Susan: Sheriff sales were pretty common, then as they are getting to be?today.? And they were pretty routinely repoted in the newspapers at the time of year when the delinquent property taxes were processed.? I think they were often due to unpaid / delinquent property taxes, but if someone had other personal debts an unpaid creditor or group of creditors might get the sheriff to initiate? foreclosure on a debtor to get some compensation out of their unpaid debt.? Hence, and correct me if I'm wrong, but if someone appears in the sheriff's sale list they could have been without real property too, i.e. a renter or roomer in a relative's home. Richard