Q: My grandmother wants to sign the deed for her property over to me in Puerto Rico. what complications may I face?
She has the deed and it is registered with the property registry in her county under her name. I am not sure if she owes any taxes etc. on the property but she has owned this land for over 30 years. The property needs maintenance as well. I am looking for some tips in the right directin on how to handle this.
A: Good evening and thank you for using JUSTIA. There are various questions you need to be answered before you accept such as is there a mortgage, is this her only property, are there any children (future inheritors), is it tax free, any liens, ect. The first thing you should do is have a title search done to find answers to your questions. Once this has been done you will then know the economical burden if any and if the deed is free and clear of any claim. The next step is to verify the future inheritors status if any. This will avoid any claims in the future. Have grandma make a will to dispose of all her belongings after she is gone. This will avoid all problems with the future estate. Verify your donation tax liability with the local tax office (Hacienda). Finally verify the costs of repairs and maitanance to be sure that you can maintain it to avoid losing said property as abandoned or public nuisance. Once you have done it all you are ready to make an educated decision.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
