My mom just passed away and we most likely will not be going through probate as most of her assets are either pod or joint with one of her children and the balance left will be under $50,000. So, do we need to get info on the Medicaid estate recovery since my dad used some title 19 funds. How do we... Read more »
If you use the Transfer by Affidavit, used for small estates with total probate assets less than $50,000 there is a requirement to send a copy to the DHS Estate Recovery Program by Certified Mail before you can transfer any assets under the Affidavit. Generally, the Estate Recovery Program will... Read more »
My husband and I were given land (paperwork was signed by both parties for the ownership transfer). The prior owner is upset about something and thinks he can call the county and just take the land back. This land had been in our name for years now and is also included in the assessment of our... Read more »
If the land was legally transferred by deed, and your name is now on the title to the property, the previous owner cannot take it back unless you sign a deed granting the land back to them either by gift or by sale. The only other way I can think of for the previous owner to get the property back... Read more »
The will stipulates that my sister-in-laws daughter (my niece) was to receive these funds when she turns 30 if my sister-in-law were to pass away.
Probate just settled in WI last month and my Niece has now passed away also. with no alternatives listed in the will would my niece's 2... Read more »
You will have to examine what the Will says happens if your niece passes away before she reaches age 30. It may say that the gift "lapses" which would mean it goes away if the person dies, or it may say that then the gift gets added back to the corpus of the estate and distributed to the... Read more »
Our Wisconsin resident Mom's husband just died and we children are about to place her in assisted living.
She has assets to pay for her care for three years or so and can partial pay (a small pension and social security and veteran's benefits) after that. But if she lives long... Read more »
The meaning of the term "Responsible Party" should be defined by the terms of the contract the Assisted Living Facility is asking you to sign. If it is not defined in the contract, I recommend asking them for the definition before signing and I would be very cautious about signing this... Read more »
She had a car loan that was upside down. It has been repossesed already. The bank is saying we (me & my 2 brothers) will owe the difference of what they get at auction & what she owed. None of us were on the loan with her, it was solely hers. Do we actually have to pay that? Keep in mind... Read more »
The good news about death, is that the debts of the decedent die with them. I am sorry to hear about the loss of your mother. Any debts she owed at her death would be owed by her estate. So if she only had $300 total to her name and that is the total amount in her estate, this is the limit of what... Read more »
After closing on a home, the county contacted me saying the property lines for the home I just bought are incorrect. After speaking with the county, the title company contacted the county about this issue. However, the title never notified myself or the seller about this issue prior to closing.
I would carefully examine your title insurance policy on the home to see if the issue was discovered during the title search and discuss this issue with a real estate litigation attorney in your area. The title company should have run a title search before issuing the title insurance. If the issue... Read more »
The amount is intended to be a gift. Would he need to pay taxes on the amount over $15,000 or could this be claimed under the lifetime exemption? If it’s taxable, would agreeing to repay the amount upon sale of the property turn it from a gift to a loan?
Currently you can gift up to $15,000 per person per year, without filing a federal gift tax return. Therefore, your proposed gift of $40,000 from your brother would be over this amount. He could gift you $15,000 this year and $15,000 in 2021 without filing a gift tax return, or if he is married, he... Read more »
There is still a mortgage and home equity loan on the home along with other debt my dad owes and my husband and I are looking at selling a buying a new home in the next few years.
I often advise clients not to add their children to the title of their home, because it can inadvertently expose the parent to creditor claims of the child through divorce, bankruptcy or a lawsuit. However, for you, if your Dad adds you to the title to the home, you would immediately become liable... Read more »
Dad had no will and I have been living there and paying taxes that come in his name in care of me. My brothers and I split everything and i got the house but never got the deed changed and now i am older and need to get it in my name.
Hello, I think you are going to need to work with a probate attorney, to get the house transferred from your Father's name to your name. If there was a probate when he died, the deed to the house should have been changed at that time. If you inherited the house via deed, there may be a way to... Read more »
I am sorry for your loss. If your daughter-in-law named your son as the primary beneficiary, then he would receive the proceeds if he survived her. If she named a contingent beneficiary, then that person would receive the assets if your son did not outlive the survival period outlined in the... Read more »
There is no one answer to this question. Whether you have the ability to end the easement, is going to depend on a variety of factors, including the original language in the document in which the easement was granted. I suggest reviewing the deed with the easement language in it with a qualified... Read more »
Power of Attorney documents were drafted for my father, with my sister and I listed as primary and alternate agents. I was living out of state when they were drafted, and didn't sign them, but everyone else did. Also, my address and phone number listed in the documents are not current.
Hello, I cannot be certain without examining the document completely, but it sounds like you are talking about the line on the document where sometimes the Agent signs to acknowledge that they have been named as Agent (usually somewhere after the principal's signature). I know at my office it... Read more »
She wants to leave the money she has to my trust and not spend more money on one of her own. Can she do this? Can someone leave assets to a trust where they are not the grantor?
This is a very interesting question. While it might be possible for her to leave a bequest to your trust, for tax reasons, it might not be desirable. I think you should examine carefully what type of assets she wants to leave to the trust, and the language of your own trust with an experienced... Read more »
Is there a form (like a pre-nup) but a "Post-nup" per say that I could fill out stating I don't want any of my husbands money if he should pass and it should go to our kids?
If/when your husband passes away you can work with an attorney to complete a disclaimer, and if your children are the next named beneficiaires in the Will or Trust it would go to them. If your husband is still alive, you could have him alter his estate planning documents now to accomplish this... Read more »
The process
If you are buying a property on a land contract, I recommend you have it prepared or reviewed by your own attorney before entering into such a contract. Often these types of contracts can favor the drafter (the person preparing the contract) so if you are considering entering such a contract it is... Read more »
I have my dad's Will. It names me and both my brothers as the homeowner's in the event of his death. My brother's want to quit claim deed their share to me since I live in the house and need to get it in my name to get homeowner's insurance on it. I was told it has to go through... Read more »
I am sorry to hear about your father's passing. I would suggest either saving up the money to hire an attorney to help you get the house through probate, or attempting to open the probate process on your own. If the real estate has value (presumably it does since you want to get the house into... Read more »
I signed my inheritance over to my sister to use if she needed more money for my fathers care, she did not need it, can I reclaim it?
I would discuss this question with the attorney handling the estate of your father, or whoever drafted the disclaimer for you to sign in the first place. It is likely it is too late to take back the disclaimer, unless this occurred very recently, however there may be a way for your sister to gift... Read more »
I purchased a home before I meet my husband. The deed and loan are in my name only. I would like for things to just go to him so he has a home with our children.
There are a couple of ways you can go about this. Depending on how the title to the deed reads now, you could pass this to your husband via deed, or via your Will or Trust at death. Doing it in your estate plan (Will or Trust) may make sense, because you still have a mortgage on the property, and... Read more »
The property next to me is bordered on the east side by a public waterway on county land. They currently access their land from the west through a gravel lane on my property. The old easement recently expired and I was wondering if I have to renew it.
In general, if an easement has expired, there is nothing requiring you to grant a new easement to an adjoining landowner. The Wisconsin Supreme Court has held that Wis. Stat. 893.33(6) requires property owners to re-record their easement within 40 years of the original grant, or risk losing the... Read more »
My son was planning on buying a house but was furloughed due to COVID 19 and isn’t able to get financing. My husband and I are going to purchase the house but our son will make all of the payments. We will eventually transfer the house to him. What is the best way to purchase at this time?... Read more »
If you plan to purchase the home and put your name on the mortgage, I would strongly advise you to purchase the home in your own name. It is not a good idea to purchase property and title it in another person's name, as you will be held responsible for the mortgage if the other person quits... Read more »
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