Mom died with no Will and owned a home with Husband who has been gone 25 years.
Full Question:
Answer:
Unless you can prove that the joint tenancy was terminated, it goes to him. The ways to terminate a joint tenancy usually require action such as a conveyance out of joint tenancy. You might see if a local attorney knows of another reason you can declare it terminated since he has been gone for 25 years.
46:3-17. Tenancies in common; joint tenancies
From and after February fourth, one thousand eight hundred and twelve, no estate shall be considered and adjudged to be an estate in joint tenancy, except it be expressly set forth in the grant or devise creating such estate that it was or is the intention of the parties to create an estate in joint tenancy and not an estate of tenancy in common, any law, usage, or decision theretofore made, to the contrary notwithstanding.
If the property was not held as joint tenants. her interest goes under intestate succession law but he would still own his interest and also inherit hers (or part of hers) according the the provision below.
The share of the intestate estate to others provides.3B:5-3. Intestate share of decedent's surviving spouse or domestic partner.
The intestate share of the surviving spouse or domestic partner is:
a.The entire intestate estate if:
(1)No descendant or parent of the decedent survives the decedent; or
(2)All of the decedent's surviving descendants are also descendants of the surviving spouse or domestic partner and there is no other descendant of the surviving spouse or domestic partner who survives the decedent;
b.The first 25% of the intestate estate, but not less than $50,000.00 nor more than $200,000.00, plus three-fourths of any balance of the intestate estate, if no descendant of the decedent survives the decedent, but a parent of the decedent survives the decedent;
c.The first 25% of the intestate estate, but not less than $50,000.00 nor more than $200,000.00, plus one-half of the balance of the intestate estate:
(1)If all of the decedent's surviving descendants are also descendants of the surviving spouse or domestic partner and the surviving spouse or domestic partner has one or more surviving descendants who are not descendants of the decedent; or
(2)If one or more of the decedent's surviving descendants is not a descendant of the surviving spouse or domestic partner.
L.1981, c.405, s.3B:5-3, eff. May 1, 1982; amended 2004, c.132, s.46; 2005, c.331, s.2.
3B:5-4. Intestate shares of heirs other than surviving spouse or domestic partner.
Any part of the intestate estate not passing to the decedent's surviving spouse or domestic partner under N.J.S.3B:5-3, or the entire intestate estate if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner, passes in the following order to the individuals designated below who survive the decedent:
a.To the decedent's descendants by representation;
b. If there are no surviving descendants, to the decedent's parents equally if both survive, or to the surviving parent, except as provided in section 4 of P.L.2009, c.43 (C.3B:5-14.1);
c.If there are no surviving descendants or parent, to the descendants of the decedent's parents or either of them by representation;
d.If there is no surviving descendant, parent or descendant of a parent, but the decedent is survived by one or more grandparents, half of the estate passes to the decedent's paternal grandparents equally if both survive, or to the surviving paternal grandparent, or to the descendants of the decedent's paternal grandparents or either of them if both are deceased, the descendants taking by representation; and the other half passes to the decedent's maternal relatives in the same manner; but if there is no surviving grandparent, or descendant of a grandparent on either the paternal or the maternal side, the entire estate passes to the decedent's relatives on the other side in the same manner as the half;
e.If there is no surviving descendant, parent, descendant of a parent, or grandparent, but the decedent is survived by one or more descendants of grandparents, the descendants take equally if they are all of the same degree of kinship to the decedent, but if of unequal degree those of more remote degree take by representation;
f.If there are no surviving descendants of grandparents, then the decedent's step-children or their descendants by representation.
Amended 2004, c.132, s.47; 2005, c.331, s.3; 2009, c.43, s.3.