Union County, New Jersey
An inherited house in Hillside, handled with care.
When your family sells the property to us, we handle the probate at the Union County Surrogate's Court and can cover its costs, including the family's estate attorney fees. We speak with each heir separately and privately, and we take the property as it stands.
Inherited property in Hillside
What families find in Hillside.
Hillside is a township of about 2.78 square miles on Union County's northern edge, sharing borders with Elizabeth and Union and, across the Essex line, with Newark and Irvington. Union Township gave up the land that became Hillside in 1913. Four major roads cross it: Route 439, Route 22, I-78 and the Parkway, and sections include Westminster, Lyons Farms and Saybrooke. Local manufacturers drove the growth of Hillside's center, and many homes reflect that era.
Lionel-era neighborhoods
Lionel built toy trains in Hillside from 1929 to 1974 and employed as many as 2,000 people, and Hillside's economy was at its height in the 1960s. Those homes are now well along in years. A parent's home from those years may still have original systems, and it can deteriorate while an estate is open. We buy it in the state it's in.
Beside the Elizabeth River
Conant Park, the biggest park in Hillside, follows the Elizabeth River and was created in the early 1950s. If an inherited house is near the river, the estate may be carrying flood coverage and watching for basement water while nobody lives there. We look at the property as it is and don't require repairs before the purchase.
No train in town
There is no passenger train stop in Hillside; family members usually come in through Union or North Elizabeth stations, or by the 113 and 114 buses. Getting to an empty house regularly can be hard for heirs who live elsewhere. We arrange visits with the executor and keep each heir informed separately.
Probate for a Hillside property
The Union County Surrogate's Court, handled for you.
In New Jersey, an estate is opened in the county where the person who passed away lived. For Union County that's the Union County Surrogate's Court in Elizabeth. With a will, the executor is appointed there; without one, an administrator is appointed, and the other heirs typically sign renunciations.
Before an inherited house can be sold, New Jersey also usually needs an inheritance tax waiver — or, for close family, an affidavit — and any liens, judgments or back taxes have to be resolved. We coordinate all of it for you. Read our full New Jersey probate guide →
1 · Reach out
A short, unhurried call about the property and your family.
2 · Private offer
A private, written offer for the property, with every number shown.
3 · We handle probate
We handle it with the Union County Surrogate.
4 · Get paid
Close as-is, often in 30 to 60 days.
Hillside and the towns around it
Neighboring towns we also serve
We serve every municipality in Union County and all 21 New Jersey counties.
Hillside questions
My aunt's house in the Lyons Farms section passed to several cousins. How do you handle that?
We speak with each heir separately and privately, explain the same terms to everyone, and work alongside whoever is administering the estate.
The house near Conant Park has water stains in the basement. Should we fix them first?
No. We buy the house as it stands, water stains included, so the estate doesn't spend money on repairs before the sale.
Where is probate filed for a house in Hillside?
Probate for someone who lived in Hillside is handled by the Union County Surrogate's Court in Elizabeth. That's where a will is admitted, or an administrator is appointed when there's no will. When your family sells to Gembrook Properties, we handle this step with you, and in most cases you just sign where needed.
Can you cover the probate costs for a Hillside property?
Yes, when your family sells the inherited property to Gembrook Properties. In many cases we cover the cost of opening the estate, including the family's estate attorney fees, so the family pays nothing out of pocket.
What if the heirs don't agree?
That's common. We speak with each heir separately and privately, so no one has to negotiate as a group, and the executor or court-appointed administrator signs the sale.
Inherited an Union County property?
Talk to a real person — not a call center.
No pressure, no cost. Just an honest conversation about the property and your options.
New Jersey counties we serve