Jacksonville Divorce Attorney Blog
“I signed a Quitclaim deed so I’m not responsible for the mortgage anymore”. That statement is one of the most common mistakes that people make when it comes to Real Estate transactions. Quitclaim deeds are used most often between family members such as an owner of property adding their spouse to property after marriage or transferring property in a dissolution of marriage. Many people think that signing a quitclaim deed relinquishes them from any obligation regarding the property that is the subject of the quitclaim deed. A quitclaim deed can quickly remove you from a property’s title and terminate your ownership interests. A quitclaim does not however, remove you from the mortgage or the responsibility to make payments. Your Jacksonville Family law attorney can assist you with understanding and preparing the correct deed.
Another common mistake is that the Grantee of a quitclaim deed gets a right to the property when they really do not have any guarantee that he/she actually has an interest in anything. A person that transfers property by quitclaim deed makes no promises that he or she owns or has clear title to the property. So the drawback, quite simply, is that quitclaim deeds offer the grantee/recipient no protection or guarantees whatsoever about the property or their ownership of it. Maybe the grantor did not own the property at all, or maybe they only had partial ownership. A quitclaim deed transfers title but makes no promises at all about the owner’s title. It essentially says that I am transferring whatever interest I have in the property described to whoever is the Grantee. A person who signs a quitclaim deed to transfer property they do not own, results in no title at all being transferred since there is no actual ownership interest. The quitclaim deed only transfers the type of title you own. A property search can be done to determine what ownership interest the grantor of a Quitclaim deed actually has in the property. Your Jacksonville Family law attorney can assist you with the research regarding the property and drafting the appropriate deed.
Quitclaim deeds are also utilized as an estate planning tool instead of leaving property to family members through a Will or other estate document. Instead, the property owner simply signs a Quitclaim deed, which must be notarized and recorded with the county recorder. Quitclaim deeds are not taxable when they transfer ownership to a spouse or a qualifying charity. Other transactions may be liable to property and gift taxes. Once the quitclaim deed is signed and notarized, it is a valid legal document. The Grantee must also have the quitclaim deed recorded in the county recorder’s office or with the county clerk in order for the document to take full legal effect and notify the public of the transfer of interest in the property. If you want to make sure that you have the appropriate deed and it is filed correctly, call your Jacksonville Family law attorney to assist you.
If you are purchasing a piece of property you would not want to accept it under a quitclaim deed. It is vitally important that when you purchase a piece of property that you get a warranty deed. A warranty deed contains a guarantee that the grantor has legal title and rights to the real estate. A quitclaim deed offers little to no protection to the grantee. Warranty deeds ensure that the grantor has the right to sell the property and guarantees that there are no liens or encumbrances against the land. Your Jacksonville Family law attorney can review your property transactions and assure that you are getting the appropriate legal title and deed.