# Old 99 year lease **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 4, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231 "2010-05-04T01:53:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dentonblonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@dentonblonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dentonblonde)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231/1 "2010-05-04T01:53:47Z")
where would I find an old 99 year lease in Dallas, TX, dated sometime between 1880 and 1900 concerning family land? I have gone thru the index books and can find the deeds to the land in question, but the land was leased to either the city or county of Dallas, TX sometime in the late 1800’s. Any help appreciated. Reply to [dallasblonde@hotmail.com](mailto:dallasblonde@hotmail.com) ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231/2 "2010-05-04T02:38:57Z")
> [@dentonblonde](#): > > where would I find an old 99 year lease in Dallas, TX, dated sometime between 1880 and 1900 concerning family land? I have gone thru the index books and can find the deeds to the land in question, but the land was leased to either the city or county of Dallas, TX sometime in the late 1800’s. Any help appreciated. Reply to [dallasblonde@hotmail.com](mailto:dallasblonde@hotmail.com) If you’ve had access to the documents in question, and you’ve found out that the land in question was leased to either the city or county, then what further are you looking for? ---
**Author:** ![Amblydoper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/fbc32d/32.png) [@Amblydoper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amblydoper)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231/3 "2010-05-04T04:03:04Z")
Who is paying you rent? Ask them for a copy of the lease. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231/4 "2010-05-04T14:33:58Z")
The city or county may have a copy in some ancient archive. ---
**Author:** ![dentonblonde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/53a042/32.png) [@dentonblonde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dentonblonde)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231/5 "2010-05-05T05:51:08Z")
Neither the city nor the county acknowledges the lease - however, my aunt (who passed away last July) was contacted by an attorney with either the city or the county regarding the lease. She didn’t believe them, threw the letter away, and told us about in about 6 weeks before she passed. I’ve contacted both city and county officials - no one know anything!!! I need to find a copy of the lease - it had to be recorded SOMEWHERE or she wouldn’t have been contacted. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2010, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-99-year-lease/538231/6 "2010-05-05T06:22:19Z")
I’m so sorry for the cynical reply, but I’d also suggest a quick phone call or two to the police’s fraud division. There are a whole host of scams that rely on contacting someone (especially the elderly) about this-or-that legal matter with a whole host of reasons behind them (e.g., phishing, 419s). I’m not suggesting that there’s anything to suggest that this _is_ a scam, but it is a possibility that someone was trying to pull something. If there is shenanigans afoot, you’ll be able to stop chasing a mysterious lease.