Toolbox/Open records
Free templates + 50-state guideCities and counties keep lists of run-down, vacant and behind-on-bills properties. Here's which office has each list, how to ask under your state's law, and the letters to send.
Real Estate Open Records Request Templates + 50-State Guide
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Short answer
Ask your city or county for the list under your state's public records law (not federal FOIA). Code violations, vacant and condemned homes come from code enforcement or the building department. Water lists come from a government-run water utility. Tax delinquent lists come from the county treasurer. Eviction filings are court records you search on the clerk of court's website.
Which list, where to ask
Each list lives in a different office. Start with the one your city is most likely to keep, then add more.
Public records laws cover government offices. If a private water company sends the bills, it usually isn't covered, and it won't hand over shut-off or usage lists. Even city-run utilities can be off limits in some states.
Before you send a water request, check who runs the water and look up your state.
Sources: SAWS open records, RCFP Open Government Guide (Texas).
FOIA vs. your state's law
This trips up a lot of investors (our old version of this page got it wrong too). Here's the simple version.
The Freedom of Information Act lets you ask federal agencies, like HUD or the IRS, for their records. Agencies have 20 business days to respond.
Every state has its own public records law. It may be called a public records act, open records act, right-to-know law, sunshine law or OPRA.
No harm done if you've been saying FOIA. Most clerks know what you mean. Naming your state's law just makes your request clearer and shows you know the rules that apply. Examples: the Texas Public Information Act, Florida's Public Records Law, Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law and New Jersey's OPRA.
Inside the free 50-state guide
The basic response time in each state's law. Many allow extensions, and some count only business days. The guide gives the law name, section, who can ask, fees and utility rules for all 50 states plus DC.
Sample: 3 of 51 entries
| State | Law | Who can ask | Response time | Utility data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Florida Public Records Law Fla. Stat. ch. 119 | Anyone | No set deadline - a "reasonable time." | Records of city-owned utilities are public records; check exemptions with the utility. |
| Texas | Texas Public Information Act Tex. Gov't Code ch. 552 | Anyone | "Promptly"; to withhold, the agency must ask the Attorney General within 10 business days. | Government-run utilities can't release delinquency, disconnection or usage data (Gov't Code §552.1331); customer data also limited by Utilities Code §182.052. |
| Virginia | Virginia Freedom of Information Act Va. Code §2.2-3700 et seq. | Virginia citizens (and media serving Virginia) | 5 working days; 7 more if needed. | Customer name, service address and account info can be withheld (not amounts billed and paid) (Va. Code §2.2-3705.7). |
Court records
These filings are court records, not city records. They're usually public through your county clerk of court's online case search, so you don't need an open records request.
Step by step
Search “[your city] open data code enforcement.” Many cities post code cases you can download. Court filings are usually on the county clerk's online case search.
Search “[your city] public records request.” Use the city's online portal if it has one. If not, email the city clerk and ask which department keeps the record.
Be friendly. Ask what the report is called in their system, like “code case export” or “disconnect report.” Use their words in your request.
Look up your state's public records law and section, then put it in the letter. The free guide lists every state.
Name the fields and the date range. Ask for a spreadsheet. Say you don't want exempt details, so they can release the rest.
Fees vary by state and agency. Ask them to tell you the cost before they start.
Write down the date, office and any reference number. If the state deadline passes, send a short, polite follow-up.
A violation or shut-off doesn't mean someone wants to sell. Look up the owner in county records and follow do-not-call and marketing rules.
What's in the free pack
Plus a one-page how-to, a follow-up letter, a request log, and the 50-state + DC guide. PDF and Word.
FAQ
Not under federal FOIA. The federal Freedom of Information Act only covers federal agencies. Your city, county and local water utility follow your state's public records law, so name that law in your request. Many clerks will still help if you write “FOIA,” but naming the right law is clearer.
It's a list of properties the city has cited for problems like tall grass, trash, open or vacant structures, or unsafe conditions. Investors use it to find owners who may be dealing with a run-down house.
Sometimes. They only fall under public records laws when the water utility is run by the government, not a private company. Some states also protect utility customer data. Texas, for example, bars government-run utilities from releasing whether an account is delinquent or set for disconnection.
Often nothing or just copy costs, but it depends on your state and the agency. Some charge for staff time on big requests. Ask for a cost estimate before they start, and ask for an electronic file, which is usually cheaper than paper.
Each state sets its own deadline. Some states give agencies 3 to 5 business days to respond, others 10 to 15 days or more, and some just say “promptly.” Many allow extensions for large requests.
Usually not. In most states you don't have to explain why. Some states treat commercial requests differently, though. Kentucky, for example, can charge more for records used for a commercial purpose.
Usually you search for them instead. Evictions, probate, divorce and foreclosure filings are court records, so they're normally on the county clerk of court's online case search. Some states limit or seal eviction records.
In most states, yes. A few limit their law to their own residents or citizens, including Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Tennessee and Virginia. The state guide shows who can ask in each state.
Free for real estate investors
Fill in the blanks, name your state's law, and send. PDF and Word.
David Frizzell is a real estate investor who runs The Wholesalers Toolbox, a free set of tools and guides for wholesalers. He isn't a lawyer or a licensed real estate agent. More about David.
This page and the free templates are general information for real estate investors, not legal advice. David isn't a lawyer or a licensed real estate agent. Public records laws are different in every state and they change. Check your state's law or ask the records office before you rely on a deadline, fee or rule, and follow do-not-call and marketing laws when you contact owners.