Selling an inherited house in Kenneth City or Lealman

Two places, two governments

Kenneth City was developed by Sidney Colen, who named it after his son, and it was incorporated as a town in 1957. It is small, mostly residential, and has its own town government, which handles code enforcement inside its limits.

Lealman, its larger neighbor, has no city government. It is unincorporated, so Pinellas County handles permits, zoning, and code enforcement. The county created the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area in 2015, its first in an unincorporated area.

For probate, none of this matters. Both are in Pinellas County, and estates go through the same Clerk of the Circuit Court. It matters only for who you call about a code notice or a permit.

The houses here

Both areas are full of modest post-war homes, many of them concrete block ranches from the 1950s and 1960s on small lots. They tend to be durable, but an inherited one often has an old roof, original electrical panels, aging plumbing, and windows that have not been replaced. Some low-lying streets near Joe's Creek in Lealman are prone to flooding in heavy rain.

We buy these houses as they are. You do not need to replace the roof or update the panel to sell.

When someone is living in the house who shouldn't be

A house that sits empty during probate can attract trouble. Sometimes a relative or former tenant stays on with no lease. Sometimes strangers move in. Families often do not know their rights and do not want a fight.

We have dealt with this before. In August 2024, Tampa Bay 28 reporter Michael Paluska rode along with us for a story about enforcing Florida's squatter law. If your inherited house has someone in it who will not leave, tell us at the start. We can buy the house with the occupant still there and handle the removal through the proper legal process ourselves.

Taxes, fines, and liens

Empty houses collect bills. Property taxes rise after the owner dies because the homestead exemption ends. Code fines can turn into liens. Utility balances pile up. All of these are paid from the sale at closing, and the heirs do not bring money. See inherited houses with back taxes for how tax certificates work in Pinellas.

Looking after the house before probate is done

Until the court issues an order, no one has authority to sell the house. But the family can still keep it safe. Practical steps that help in these neighborhoods:

• Change or add locks if keys were handed out over the years.
• Keep the water and power on so the house does not look abandoned.
• Ask a neighbor you trust to call you if they see anyone coming or going.
• Remove valuables, papers, and medications early.
• Keep the yard cut, since overgrown lots are a common reason for code notices.

If you are out of town and cannot do these things, tell us when you call. We can often help arrange it.

How a sale works here

One walkthrough, then a written cash offer. If you accept, we pay an independent licensed Florida probate attorney, typically about $3,000 including court fees, and it is not deducted from your share. For a qualifying small estate, the probate side often wraps up within 24 to 48 hours of the heirs’ signatures, with the closing roughly a week behind it. Formal administration takes longer. We are not attorneys, and this is general information.

Pinellas Probate Home Buyers is the probate division of 131 Cash Home Buyers. Call or text Alex at (727) 353-6206.

We’re a home-buying company, not attorneys. This page is general information about Florida probate, not legal advice; an independent licensed Florida probate attorney represents the estate in every probate we pay for. Last updated November 2026.