What are My Property Rights if my Wife's Name is on the Deed?
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The answer will depend on all the facts and documents involved, such as whether your name is on the deed or not. If tenants in common, the other owner may sell her share without consent. Joint tenancy is a form of ownership by two or more individuals together. It differs from other types of co-ownership in that the surviving joint tenant immediately becomes the owner of the whole property upon the death of the other joint tenant. State law, which varies by state, controls the creation of a joint tenancy in both real and personal property. Joint tenancy property passes outside of probate, however, it may be severed so that the property becomes part of one person's estate and passes to that person's heirs. Each joint tenant has an equal, undivided interest in the whole property. All joint tenants, and their spouses, must sign deeds and contracts to transfer or sell real estate. A joint tenant may convey his or her interest to a third party, depending on applicable state law. This conversion would in effect terminate the joint tenancy and create a tenancy in common.
Joint tenancy comes into being, or is created, by a specific act of the parties involved. For example, real estate held in this fashion is typically the result of a property transfer by deed. Each joint tenant owns an equal share of co-owned property. When the first joint-tenant dies, the title designation transfers the property immediately and automatically to the surviving joint tenant. This ownership arrangement is said to be a will substitute because it eliminates probate of this particular asset. Avoiding probate does not mean the property will not be included in the taxable estate of the first co-owner to die, or that state and a federal gift and estate taxes will be avoided. Estate planning experts feel joint tenancy is a poor method of planning property transfer for two reasons. First, each co-owner has given up the right to leave the property to anyone other than the other co-owner. Circumstances may change and either tenant may later want to leave the asset to someone else. Either party can usually dissolve a joint tenancy during life, but this may not always be possible or practical. Second, where taxes are an important consideration in planning an estate, holding assets in joint tenancy does not permit one joint tenant to leave their share of the assets in such a way as to save taxes. Upon the death of the first joint tenant, the asset goes outright to the survivor. This causes the survivor’s taxable income and taxable estate to be increased. Careful consideration should be given to the tax consequences of dissolving existing joint tenancies because additional gift and estate tax obligations may be created. Tax implications should be fully explored with tax experts before changes are made and, particularly, before new joint tenancies are created. Joint tenancy with the right of survivorship reflects the desire of many husbands and wives to hold title to property in a way that the survivorship characteristic prevails. When either dies, they each want the surviving spouse to acquire full ownership in the property and to do so with a minimum of time, trouble, and red tape. Thus, they take or hold title to property as “Joint Tenants and to the Survivor.” Tenancy in common is another form of co-ownership of property that can exist between any two or more persons. Tenancy in common can be created by deed, will, or by law. Tenants in common, like joint tenants, must act together to decide how they are going to enjoy and use the property. Problems about the management and improvement of the property, and how the income stream is to be divided, can exist. A distinguishing characteristic is that there is no right of survivorship. Each tenant can dispose of their separate and distinct, yet undesignated, interest in the property in any way they choose.
When a co-owner dies, their interest does not pass to the surviving tenant-in-common. It passes to the surviving co-owner spouse, or to some other person or party, but only if the property owner so indicates his wishes in his last will and testament. Otherwise, the property passes under the laws of intestacy.
If you are not named on the deed, in divorce the court will divide the property of the parties as it deems equitable under the particular circumstances of the case. All of a party’s property is subject to division if the court determines that the other party contributed to the acquisition, improvement, or accumulation of the property.
