Talk to an estate planning attorney as soon as possible and find out what your claim to the property is. Be prepared to spend a little money for this, maybe itll pay off for you.
I would do this sooner before later as the transfer to your Uncle may complicate things and end up costing you more for the attorneys work.
If you have siblings, maybe go in together and split the cost.
Let's get down to brass tacks. How much for the ape?