I second Nancy Jean's response and add that records don't always tell the
whole story. Some emigrants simply left, hoping to return, and family
members--sometimes even complete strangers--used the abandoned properties
as their own, if only to work the land. After a time, the "squatters" may
file paperwork claiming ownership by virtue of their possession for a
certain number of years.
Another issue is informal, unrecorded agreements made between emigrants and
remaining residents, for which there are no records, only word-of-mouth
stories. One more is the issue of power of attorney ("procurador") that
emigrants sometimes signed to designate someone to take care of the
property in their absence. In Portugal, the procurador has absolute
authority to do anything. Nancy Jean and I have heard many stories of
emigrants or their adult children returning many years later to find
properties sold from under them, and there is nothing they can do because
of the attorney agreement.(In contrast, the power-of attorney agreement in
the U.S. usually specifies exactly what the designee may and may not
handle, may and may not do.)
Thus, the process of tracing ownership can take a lo-o-o-ong time, and
there's no guarantee the tracing will turn up completely accurate
information. What matters, ultimately, is how the property is registered at
the concelho--and even that information may be outdated because many
Azoreans traditionally do not file documents so they can avoid paying fees
and higher taxes.
Best advice: work with a local who knows the ropes.
Tomás
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