The Facts: Last year my aunt Sue died without a Will. She was widowed and owned a house that had been in our family for generations. The understanding was that when she died, the next generation, including me and my siblings, would inherit the house. Recently, my aunt’s daughter, Mary, signed a deed transferring the […]
September 15, 2016 – 1:53 pm
The Facts: As part of their Medicaid planning, over ten years ago my parents transferred their house to my brother Joe. They did not put my name on the deed because I had filed for bankruptcy. However, the understanding was that at some point after their deaths, Joe would sell the house and give me […]
January 2, 2015 – 12:19 pm
I generally do not revisit a topic if I have discussed it in a prior article. However, based on the number of phone calls I’ve received from clients in response to alarming solicitations they’ve received in the mail, I am making an exception this month. It has been almost three years since I first warned […]
October 29, 2014 – 10:19 am
At least once a week a new client who owns real property with someone else comes to my office with a question about his rights and obligations with respect to his joint ownership of the property. Oftentimes the questions arise because the owners do not see eye to eye as to who is responsible for […]
Thinking about putting your children’s name on the deed to your house? Think again. Although giving your children your house and reserving for yourself a life estate may seem like an excellent strategy to avoid probate, there are significant downsides. The most obvious is the loss of control. Once you put your children’s names on […]
The Facts: I recently received a letter from a company suggesting that I should have a certified copy of my deed. The company offered to get the deed for me for about $85. The Question: Is this a scan? The Answer: Yes, it is a scam and one that is quite lucrative for the company making the offer. […]
The Facts: My elderly father is putting his house into an irrevocable trust and naming me and my brother as beneficiaries of the trust. The Questions: If my father decides to move out of his house, will we be able to sell the house while my father is still alive? Would it be better if my father […]
October 15, 2009 – 7:15 pm
The Facts: Since my son is gong to inherit my house when I die, I was thinking about putting his name on the deed now as a joint tenant with right of survivorship so he would not have to probate my Will. The Questions: What are the pros and cons of doing this? The Answer: If your only […]
