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can someone sell a house if your name is on the deed

by Prof. Lexie Walker II Published 3 years ago Updated 3 years ago

If a recorded deed contains only one name, that person is the legal owner and has full legal power to sell or will away the house or other real property, even if someone else has contributed to its purchase and holds a nonrecorded interest.

Can I Sell my House if someone else is on the deed?

Can i sell my house if someone else is on the deed? I'm getting a divorce and my wife is on the deed but not on the loan. I was wondering can i sell the house without her consent? Ask a lawyer - it's free! No, most importantly because she is on the deed.

Does being on the deed only make you an owner?

Being on the deed only does not require you to pay the mortgage. Being on the mortgage only does not make you an owner. The paperwork and legal concepts involved in owning and paying for real estate are different from owning and paying for a vehicle. The document that signifies ownership of a vehicle is a title, not a deed.

What happens if your name is not on the deed?

As we said, if your name was not forged and your name did not show up on the title to the home, you may be out of luck. In some states, you could be an owner even if the deed was not recorded.

Why do I still own my house if the deed is forged?

You still own the home because any deeds conveying it to another party are fraudulent, as is your forged signature. Those involved in the scheme have committed criminal acts and can be prosecuted. An attorney can help sort out the situation effectively and as quickly as possible.

What happens if one person wants to sell a house and the other doesn t?

You may have no other choice but to go to court to force a sale. The proceeds of the house sale may go toward paying your mortgage off and you can walk away. However, if you transfer ownership in another way, you'll need to ensure that the remaining co-owners are willing and are able to refinance the loan without you.

What does it mean if your name is on the deed?

The person whose name is on the deed has the title to the property. It doesn't matter whether the property was transferred by purchase, inheritance or gift. It's the deed that transfers title. On the deed, you'll find the property's legal description, including property or boundary lines.

What does it mean when someone puts you on the deed?

A deed that conveys an interest in your real estate ownership (“adds someone on”) has the legal effect of giving that additional person the same bundle of rights to which you are entitled. Once the conveyance happens, it cannot be undone except with that other additional owner's consent.

What happens when you buy a house with someone and break up?

You can either follow the legal procedures that apply in your state—typically this means the court will order the property to be sold, and the net proceeds (after paying mortgages, liens, and costs of sale) to be divided—or you can reach your own compromise settlement.

What does it mean if my name is on the deed but not the mortgage?

If your name is on the deed but not the mortgage, it means that you are an owner of the home, but are not liable for the mortgage loan and the resulting payments. If you default on the payments, however, the lender can still foreclose on the home, despite that only one spouse is listed on the mortgage.

What does it mean if a house is in your name?

Generally, your name is on the deed to the home, then you you own an interest in it. The bank cannot foreclose since you did not transfer your interest to the bank. This means that you still own your share of the home.

What are my rights if my name is not on a deed?

In single name cases (as opposed to situations where both owners' names are on the deeds) the starting point is that the 'non-owner' (the party whose name is not on the deeds) has no rights over the property.

Who gets the house when an unmarried couple splits up?

If a couple own property together and they separate, the property is generally owned by the party in whose name the property is held. It may be in both parties names and they will then have to decide what to do with the property upon their separation.

Does it matter whose name is first on mortgage?

When evaluating borrowers for a joint mortgage, the lender cares less about who is listed first, and more about the sum of the applicants' earnings and debts. In general, the lender evaluates the application the way the applicants submit it, without regard to whose name is listed first.

How long do you have to be in a relationship to take half?

If the relationship has lasted at least three years, the general rule is that relationship property is divided equally between the couple.

When you split up who gets the house?

If you're not married or in a civil partnership, you can ask the court to decide what happens to your home. The court will usually divide your home's value between you according to the shares you own. If you have children, you might be able to ask the court to delay selling your home until your youngest child is 18.

Can I force my ex to sell the house?

You cannot force a sale, but you can try to come to an agreement with them, by either buying them out or selling them your part of the property. If you're currently dealing with a divorce, dealing with your shared belongings can become hard work very quickly.

What is a deed to a home?

A deed to a home or other real property is separate and distinct from any mortgage attached to that property. A home's deed also conveys legal ownership of that home. Mortgages are debt obligations to lenders undertaken by buyers of real property, but they don't convey legal ownership. In partition lawsuits resulting in the sale of homes or other real property, any debts such as mortgages are settled upon legal sale, either from proceeds or from the owners, or from both.

What is mortgage in real estate?

Mortgages are debt obligations to lenders undertaken by buyers of real property, but they don't convey legal ownership. In partition lawsuits resulting in the sale of homes or other real property, any debts such as mortgages are settled upon legal sale, either from proceeds or from the owners, or from both.

Can you force your ex-wife to sell your house?

Also, even after divorce your spouse must still agree to the sale of the home or other real property you owned together, but you may be able to force your ex-spouse to sell real property you owned together by employing a partition lawsuit.

Do you have to agree to sell your house after divorce?

Also, even after divorce your spouse must still agree to the sale of the home or other real property you owned together , but you may be able to force your ex-spouse to sell real property you owned together by employing a partition lawsuit.

What happens if your father shows you the deed but never filed it?

Say he changed his mind and decided not to file the deed. If this happened, you were never an owner and were never entitled to any money from the sale of the home.

What happens if you forged your name?

Obviously, if your name was forged, that’s fraud. And, you should have a right to go after the person that forged your signature and for any rights you had in the home. As we said, if your name was not forged and your name did not show up on the title to the home, you may be out of luck.

Can you be an owner of a house if the deed is not recorded?

In some states, you could be an owner even if the deed was not recorded. The problem is that you have various obstacles to overcome in proving your ownership, in proving that your stepmother knew of your ownership and that the buyers likewise knew you were an owner.

Can you say your father put you on the title?

Saying that your father put you on the title is not enough. You’ll need to find the deed that put you on the title and know that the deed was recorded. Once you have that information, then you need to figure out how the title to the property passed to a new buyer without your knowledge.

Do you have to file a deed to your child?

We see that quite often. Parents say they added a child’s name but they don’t file the right papers or never actually do it. Sometimes the documents really do get prepared and are even shown to a child but nothing is ever done with that document that formalizes it or makes it legal. After your dad showed you that document, the deed should have been filed or recorded in the office that handles the filing or recording of land documents.

How to sign a deed for a home sale?

Attend the closing with the other owner . At closing, you and the buyers sign paperwork finalizing the sale. You and the co-owner sign the deed granting ownership to the buyer. After all documents are signed, the funds are released and the sale recorded at the county recorder's office.

What is the key to selling a home together?

Decisions such as hiring a listing agent or negotiating a price are often challenging enough without having to agree with the co-owner. Cooperation is key to selling a home together.

Where do you sign escrow documents?

Sign escrow documents. Depending on your location, escrow documents may be signed at the opening of escrow or near the closing. You and the other owner will need to bring a state- or government-issued driver's license or identification card.

Can you sell a house with both names on the deed?

How to Sell a House with Both Names on the Deed. A house cannot be sold without the consent of all owners listed on the deed. When selling a home, there are different decisions that need to be made throughout the process. Decisions such as hiring a listing agent or negotiating a price are often challenging enough without having to agree with ...

What happens if you don't pay off your mortgage?

If it is not paid off and the deed is transferred to someone else and they move in, the mortgage still must be paid by someone or the bank will foreclose, evict the new owner and put the property on the market to try to get back the money it loaned.

Do you have to pay mortgage if you are on the deed?

Being on the deed only does not require you to pay the mortgage. Being on the mortgage only does not make you an owner. The paperwork and legal concepts involved in owning and paying for real estate are different from owning and paying for a vehicle.

Can a spouse be on a mortgage but not on the deed?

In the relatively rare situation where a spouse in on the mortgage but not on the deed serious complications are possible and must be discussed in advance with an experienced divorce attorney. Depending on what has been decided, the same holds true if a spouse’s name is on the deed but not on the mortgage. As I trust all of the above shows you, ...

Do you have to have both names on a deed when you divorce?

When a divorcing couple owns or is buying their home (or other realty), they frequently have a deed and a mortgage, typically with both names on each. Selling the property and dividing up the profits is the simplest route, but it is not always that to which both spouses can agree.

Can a settlement agreement be drawn up legally?

A settlement agreement can be drawn up legally requiring the spouse staying to make the payments and hold the other spouse harmless. Such agreements have allowed my clients who left the house to be able to obtain a new mortgage in the future.

Can you remove a name from a deed?

While it is both legal and possible to remove one party’s name from the deed by creating a new deed from both to just one, that cannot be done with the mortgage and careful planning after a consultation with an experienced divorce lawyer is absolutely necessary.

Do you have a title if you owe money on a car?

The document that signifies ownership of a vehicle is a title, not a deed. If you owe money on a vehicle loan, you do not have the title to the vehicle, the lender has it. But, if you owe money on a mortgage for real estate, you do have the deed showing you own that realty.

Bradley Chase Martin

I am not sure what your lawyer means by "undisputed probate", so I recommend discussing this issue with him before attempting to sell the home. It is unclear how long ago your father died and when the paperwork was filed.

Larry E. Powe

I highly recommend that you do NOT transfer the title to the house into your personal name first. You are a personal representative and, if the purchase agremeent was drafted properly, you should only be giving an Independent Personal Representative Deed to the buyer, not warranty deed.

Is title lock insurance a deed monitoring service?

Title lock insurance isn’t insurance at all but rather a deed monitoring service that periodically reassures homeowners all is well and alerts them in the event of suspicious activity. If a problem does arise, the services typically offer no resolution assistance.

Does title insurance cover fraud?

In the past, title insurance has not typically covered future fraud or title theft, but in Connecticut and many other states homeowners can now obtain title insurance with enhanced fraud protection. It is only offered for improved property—not lots or undeveloped land—and adds an extra 10 percent to the premium cost.

Why isn't my house titled jointly?

Why isn’t your home titled jointly? Maybe your spouse or life partner bought the house before you became a couple and wanted to retain it as separate property, or to bequeath it to a child from a previous marriage. Maybe a tax or estate planning adviser suggested that your partner take title as a sole owner. Or maybe your credit score was an issue at the time of purchase.

Who is responsible for paying off a mortgage after leaving?

Note that a partner who leaves might still granted equity in the home, through a divorce lien. The spouse who signed the mortgage is responsible for paying it off.

How to change a title from sole to joint?

Often, the easiest way to change a title from a sole ownership into a joint ownership is quitclaiming (for Californians, using an interspousal grant deed ), and naming both partners on the new deed as co-owners.

Why do lenders ask for two co-borrowers?

The reason is simple. Lenders want both people on the title so that both are legally obliged to send in the monthly payments. If those payments stop coming, lenders don’t want to go through the trouble of pressing a non-owning co-signer to step up.

Can you add spouse to quitclaim?

Summary: Making Informed Changes. As you can see, a homeowner can easily use a quitclaim to add a spouse or partner to the house title . Yet additional factors can inform the best way to make this change, and many of these factors involve your state’s particular blend of laws.

Can a spouse change property to community property?

That constitutes separate property. The other spouse has neither rights nor duties to pay unpaid debts and liens on the property. Spouses can change separate property to community property by transferring the title into joint ownership.

Which states have community property laws similar to California?

Other community property states, which have rules similar to those in California, are Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Idaho, Washington, and Wisconsin. What about a home owned by one of you before you became a couple? Or, what if property was given or bequeathed to just one of you?

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