From Kurt Islet’s title search report:

 

“In my title search I learned more about what I already knew about my property.  The man my wife and I purchased the house from (we'll call him Dave) was gay and I later learned from a neighbor that he had had a partner who died of AIDS.  In the title search, I learned that it was not Dave who bought the house from the owner preceding him, but his partner (we'll call him Steve).  In 1989, Steve bought the house from the heirs of the previous owner's estate.  In the documents it also stated that Steve had been previously married but was divorced and not remarried.  In 1992, Steve quit claimed the property to himself and Dave.  The next document after the quit claim is a mortgage assignment in 1994 - but only Dave's name is there, not Steve's.  Steve's name is never seen again on any of the documents related to the property - seven documents in all related to mortgage releases and assignments.  Only Dave's name till my wife and I bought the property in 2002.  I'm guessing those seven documents of Dave's were related to refinancings.

 

“So my hypo is that it's possible Steve had children from his marraige and that they may have some interest in the property that they have never made claim to.  I think this fact set gives enough to prompt a legal argument for how an atty would handle Steve's children bringing claim to the property from both sides, the children and my wife and I.

 

“I also find it interesting that the quit claim was not to just Dave, but to Dave and Steve.  So Steve still possibly held an interest in the property when he died.

One added piece that may make this easier.  Because Steve's name is never seen after the 1992 quit claim, I am guessing he died between then and 1994 when the next document shows up with only Dave's name.  One could assume he knew he had AIDS and quit claimed it to his partner Dave so that Dave would have possessory rights when Steve died.”