Q: Life estate holder refuses to sign over property, house vacant and deteriorating, tax issues.
My husband owns a property in North Carolina where his step-dad holds a life estate. When my husband's mother passed away, his step-dad took over the house and allowed a friend to live there rent-free for years. The house has now been vacant for over a year, and it's falling into disrepair with trash and belongings left inside and the yard unkempt. There were no specific agreements made about maintaining the property.
We've repeatedly asked my father-in-law to sign the house back over to my husband, but he refuses, claiming someone still lives there, which we know is not true since we reside next door. At one point, he was three years behind on taxes, although he has since paid them, but he currently owes 2024 taxes. We are worried about the ongoing tax delinquency and the deteriorating condition of the home.
We would like for our daughter, who was raised in the home, to move in since it is vacant. Considering the home's sentimental value, my husband’s grandfather built it, and generations have lived there, we want to resolve this matter. What legal options do we have to address this situation or persuade my father-in-law to transfer the property?
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free 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 Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, 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.
