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2 Answers | Asked in Divorce, Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Family Law for Virginia on
Q: Ex husband sent me a gift of deed expecting me to give him the house. I don’t want to sign it. What do I need to do

We owned the house while married nothing was agreed on except he was to live in the house. He left the state and never said a word. Now he sent me a gift of deed to sign over my rights.

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Apr 27, 2024

You might consider getting a lawyer to evaluate the whole set of facts. The easy answer is to refuse to sign, but that could be really stupid depending on other facts. Lay all the facts out for a lawyer in a consult. That will be much cheaper than triggering litigation.

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2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Maryland on
Q: I have joint tenancy with mom on a townhome in Maryland. I want to remove my mom from the title and replace with my wife

There is still some mortgage left. Mom is willing to do this. How do I go about it with least financial consequences?

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Mar 31, 2024

The answer with the least legal expense is to sell or gift your mother's half of the house to your wife. There will be transfer taxes, it may be a recognition event as to capital gains, and you will need to refinance. The alternative is to review the mortgage and find out if it has a due on... View More

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2 Answers | Asked in Business Law, Real Estate Law and Gov & Administrative Law for Maryland on
Q: I am a MD Realtor thinking of Starting a Property Management company. Are there any laws or Regulations that prohibt?

Are there any Additional License or Certification?

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Mar 2, 2024

I'd want to check your licensor and your business plan before rendering any opinion, but property management is one of the things real estate brokers are licensed to do. You don't say you are a broker, however, so you may merely be licensed as a sales person, that is, to be an agent for a... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Estate Planning for Virginia on
Q: Can an executor refuse to speak with a beneficiary with their own attorney?

My dad passed and his attorney is now the executor of his estate. This attorney was having private conversations with one of my sisters and not sharing information equally. I told him I'd retained an attorney of my own and now he won't speak to me at all. Said he legally can't speak... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Feb 28, 2024

Sometimes, lying is its own reward. The lawyer is not allowed to communicate with a represented client without the permission of the other lawyer. Since you don't have a lawyer, he can't ask for permission. He probably doesn't want to anyway, since he's responsible for keeping... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law and Construction Law for Virginia on
Q: We had a home inspector who missed numerous things costing $4K to fix - how do we get $ from ther failed inspection?

The old owner had a low-budget handyman install a new shower surround and floor pan. It was install very poorly with no support in the walls for the panel seams, no support for the floor pan, and a loose drain. It took about $4k to have the shower disassembled and walls re-studded to handle the... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Feb 13, 2024

You need to review the contract with the home inspector very carefully. If you did not negotiate and modify the contract, it insulates the inspector from most if not all claims, and, when it doesn't insulate them, it limits damages to refunding your inspection fee. That will surely be. shock... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning and Family Law for Virginia on
Q: What are my legal options?

My mother passed away last year and was living on family owned land that was supposed to be put in her name and never was. The land is part of my grandfathers estate that passed away 1987-88.Now there is a dispute on how much land there is in the estate my grandfather left that was never... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Jan 22, 2024

Your alternatives are to get a competent lawyer to review the titles and the estates so you can make a proper claim in this "heir property" case; or, you can bend over and wait to find where the moon don't shine. If you think this is a DIY case, you are making the second choice. The... View More

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3 Answers | Asked in Civil Litigation, Contracts and Real Estate Law for Maryland on
Q: 3 siblings inherit home 2 want to sell 1 doesn't. What are our options

Home in hyattsville.

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Jan 10, 2024

It’s not a majority vote issue. If any owner wants to sell, they can petition for sake in lieu of partition. The attorney fees will be reimbursed from the sale. The only defenses are that the property can be partitioned or the tenant in residence gets the notice given to tenants. Get counsel.

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1 Answer | Asked in Real Estate Law, Construction Law and Land Use & Zoning for Virginia on
Q: If there are two equal adjacent lots (A and B) to be developed into homes.

Lot A is owned by property owner #1 and Lot B is owned equally by property owner #1 and #2. If you build homes how should the development cost/profits from sales/shares work out?

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Jan 4, 2024

The short answer is "any way you want to." There are many choices. If you make no choices, the Uniform Partnership Act will make them for you, and you may not like its choices. Indeed, it won't be clear whether you have a partnership of the one property or of the two, and the one to... View More

3 Answers | Asked in Estate Planning, Real Estate Law and Probate for Maryland on
Q: Is it legal for the executor of an estate to force a benificiary to pay for a mortgage on a house they inherited?

Two sisters inherited a house with a mortgage now one sister wants the other sister to quit claim deed the house. Said sister is also the executor of the estate and is forcing my wife to either pay half the mortgage or quit claim on said house

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Dec 5, 2023

It might be easier for you to think of this a different way. If the course was inherited by both sister, each has the right to use the undivided whole, and either has the right to demand that it be sold and the proceeds after paying off the mortgage split. If you cannot reach another agreement,... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Family Law, Real Estate Law, Civil Rights and Landlord - Tenant for Virginia on
Q: Two bro own house . One lives in house, one at the lake Can lake bro come in home whenever no notice Can I trespass him.

Property was inherited from deceased parents. Older bro lives in house, gets his mail there and pays all house hold bills from home. The small bro lives elsewhere for years bu shows up and uses his childhoid key to come in house unannounced and uninvited. The last time he did this we called the... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Dec 2, 2023

If one brother wishes exclusive use of the house, then he needs to buy the other brother’s half. Merely paying the bills doesn’t change that both brothers own it. Both brothers may use the undivided whole house. I know of no requirement for notice unless there is a lease in place giving... View More

Q: How can I ensure my appeal and evidence are properly considered in Circuit Court after a renter's false accusations and questionable consolidation of cases?

I am an elderly, disabled, widow landlord dealing with a situation where my basement renter demanded early lease termination without penalty and the return of her security deposit without valid cause, using false accusations as blackmail. Despite a signed lease agreement and no prior issues... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Mar 27, 2025

It sounds like you are asking this after it is already all over. It sounds like you represented yourself and did a very poor job. If you aren't a lawyer, the chances that you preserved your objections so that you can appeal are miniscule. I'd say fire your lawyer and get a new one … next time.

3 Answers | Asked in International Law, Real Estate Law, Gov & Administrative Law and Probate for Maryland on
Q: Distribution of Bangladeshi property and bank accounts for US citizen father's estate with minor US citizen children involved.

My father was a Bangladeshi citizen by birth but later became a US citizen through naturalization. He passed away in the USA and left behind real estate, land properties, and bank accounts in Bangladesh. He has minor children who are US citizens. There is no will, and legal proceedings have been... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Mar 22, 2025

If the property is in Bangladesh, you need a Bangladeshi lawyer to advise how the U.S. probate orders will be received in Bangladesh under Bangladeshi law.

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3 Answers | Asked in Divorce, Real Estate Law and Contracts for Maryland on
Q: Divorce and house buyout: future sale costs in Maryland

In a Maryland divorce case, my spouse and I jointly own a home. My spouse is keeping the house and buying me out. Their attorney is proposing that the potential future cost of sale be divided in half and subtracted from my buyout portion. We have no terms in our divorce agreement or prior... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Mar 20, 2025

If you are represented by counsel, it is an ethical violation for another lawyer to communicate with you unless you retain counsel for a second opinion. We don't belong under your lawyers "skirts."

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1 Answer | Asked in Business Law, Contracts and Real Estate Law for Virginia on
Q: How to negotiate landlord's $24,000 demand after a license delay?

I encountered a delay in opening my business because the previous tenant fraudulently acquired a professional license, which postponed my license issuance by three months. This issue was resolved by the agency with my compliance. My lease has a provision to avoid penalties for licensing delays.... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Feb 19, 2025

There is no shortcut on these facts other than an under-prepared negotiation. To do a professional job, a lawyer would need an understanding of the lease provision you negotiated, the nature of the guarantees and corporate liabilities, and the other terms of the lease, as well as the tactical and... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Virginia on
Q: as administrator over my mom‘s and dad’s estate

Can the bank refused to let me see the account with my mom even though my sister is on a joint account with her

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Feb 8, 2025

You should probably use a subpoena to investigate the estate and whether the joint account was a Totten trust rather than a JTWROS account. Consult counsel.

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2 Answers | Asked in Family Law and Health Care Law for Virginia on
Q: I need help finding a lawyer to represent me.

negotiate on my behalf with a fertility clinic

personal injury

medical malpractice

wrongful death

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Jan 15, 2025

I’ve written this same answer several times on Quora, and I don’t have enough time to rewrite it, so, I’m offering a re-publication from September 2, 2018:

“Lawyers are supposed to aid in the administration of justice, so here are a few ideas:

1. Ask a lawyer you know and...
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2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Maryland on
Q: Property buyer removed and changed purchase terms and will not resubmit them as requested by seller

Buyer denied seller of property original negotiated terms and details an inserted the new provisions in the final closing purchase contract

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Jan 10, 2025

If you both signed the new terms, then those are the terms. If not, then you haven’t had a “meeting of the minds” yet, so there is no new contract. Maybe you need a lawyer for the negotiation phase?

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1 Answer | Asked in Family Law for Virginia on
Q: If I have sole custody of my son and during one of the drop offs we have to agree on a time and we do not and he tells

Me he won’t drop him off till 9:30 pm and I disagree but he won’t compromise what can I do ?

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Dec 14, 2024

What does your agreement say about time? If nothing about time or "daylight" or similar, then he is right and you are wrong. Either follow the agreement or move to amend it.

1 Answer | Asked in Family Law and Child Custody for Virginia on
Q: 13yo daughter desperately wants us to have full custody of her and get away from her train wreck of a mother.

Her mother is somewhat unstable and likely bi-polar (opinion) but our oldest daughter left her at 16 and never went back and now our youngest, 13, begs us to not make her go to her house. We have shared custody, half the week with us and half the week with her mother. Her mother has been caught... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Nov 18, 2024

I’m not sure what you are asking, but it is obvious that you need to consult with a lawyer who covers child custody and family issues. Seek a lawyer who practices in your judicial circuit.

2 Answers | Asked in Real Estate Law for Virginia on
Q: Do we have to resort to a lawsuit against the sellers to have the damage taken care of?

We closed on a new home mid July. We allowed the sellers to stay in the house until September. Upon moving a piano the movers severely damaged the floors. Estimates that we have received by hardwood floor companies state in order to restore the floor to what it was requires complete replacement.... View More

Richard Sternberg
Richard Sternberg
answered on Nov 15, 2024

Unless you hired the movers, you have no privity with them. Your entire claim is with the Sellers. How much they collect from the movers is their business.

This is one of many, many reasons that most lawyers and title agents don't like leasebacks. If you aren't ready to close,...
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