{"id":1039,"date":"2020-10-23T06:00:17","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T10:00:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/?p=1039"},"modified":"2024-04-25T23:20:28","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T03:20:28","slug":"the-monster-under-the-bed-when-a-homes-past-holds-an-unrecorded-deed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deeds.com\/articles\/the-monster-under-the-bed-when-a-homes-past-holds-an-unrecorded-deed\/","title":{"rendered":"The Monster Under the Bed: When a Home\u2019s Past Holds an Unrecorded Deed"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Image<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

No homeowner wants to find out there\u2019s a deed in the home\u2019s\npast that went unrecorded. But it can happen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the normal transaction, at the time of the legal transfer\nof real estate, the deed is filed with the county recorder\u2019s office, placing\nthe new owner\u2019s name in the public record. Why would anyone skip this step? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes It\u2019s Deliberate\u2026<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Why they do it:<\/strong> Imagine a new owner who, to evade\ntaxes, accepts a deed but does not record it. (Unless the parties are married,\nthe transfer of a home between two people is subject to possible state gift tax,\nwith federal gift tax due to the Internal Revenue Service<\/a>.) <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it\u2019s wrong:<\/strong> This decision not to record is a\nselfish move in more ways than one. It could leave a seller on the hook for\nunwanted responsibilities. This is why some sellers get proactive, with an affidavit\nof deed<\/a>. The affidavit shows that the transfer occurred, and when it\noccurred.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why they do it:<\/strong> Imagine a business owner who thinks\nit\u2019s a good idea to convey a deed into a limited liability company, and get\naround the transfer tax by leaving it unrecorded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it\u2019s wrong:<\/strong> This defeats the purpose of creating\na new business asset, because banks won\u2019t see the unrecorded deed. And the\nowners are still personally liable for property taxes and other regular\nexpenses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why they do it:<\/strong> Imagine someone trying to avoid\nprobate, giving the deed to an intended beneficiary with instructions not to record\nit until after the first owner dies.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why it\u2019s wrong:<\/strong> After the death occurs, multiple\nparties could dispute the right to the property, claiming, for example, that\nthe deceased prior owner didn\u2019t sign the deed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are just a few examples of the monster coming out from\nunder the bed. And the monster can get bigger. Situations that happened earlier\nin the ownership history can come to light later after a chain of lenders and\nbuyers have been involved with the property. No matter what the reasoning is\nbehind a decision to leave a deed unrecorded, it\u2019s a far better plan to keep an\nunambiguous chain of title and ensure marketable property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

State Laws and Unrecorded Deeds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Deliberate decisions to leave deeds unrecorded can harm unknowing parties, and states have had to legislate against people making deed transfers out of the public view. Some states impose penalties for failure to record a deed. Texas, for example, voids unrecorded real estate conveyances<\/a> to safeguard the interests of later buyers and lenders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s say Jack decides to give a house to Jill, asking that the\ndeed be recorded once Jack dies. Jill holds the recordable deed for years. But\nbefore dying, Jack makes an owner-financed sale to Jordan, who puts 10% down\nand records the deed. Who owns Jack\u2019s house now? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When multiple parties claim to own the same real estate, the\nfirst one to get to the county courthouse and have their deed recorded usually prevails;\nstate\nrecording statutes<\/a> lay out the possible situations, timings, and\noutcomes. In this case, Jordan would point out the general rule for an unrecorded\ngift deed: <\/em>it\u2019s voided when a bona fide purchaser<\/em> without notice of\nthe prior gift buys the house for value. In plain terms: If a \u201cJill\u201d shows up\nout of the blue, claiming to own all or some of your property, yet Jill\u2019s deed\nwas unrecorded when you bought the home so you didn\u2019t know of its existence,\nyour interest is likely safe. You are a bona fide purchaser for value. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Benefits of Doing the Right Thing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

What should Jack and Jill have done differently? Jill should have insisted on a good, old-fashioned written will \u2014 or, if bypassing probate is a priority, a living trust<\/a> \u2014 instead of attempting to accept a conditional gift deed. The Florida Bar<\/a> recommends hiring a real estate lawyer to create a life estate for someone like Jack, who could use a deed, will, or trust agreement to do this. A lawyer could also oversee a contract for the deed, placing it in escrow until the death or other relevant occurrence actually happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Had Jack handled things in the standard way, with the home\nleft to Jill in Jack\u2019s last will, Jill would get the benefit of a stepped-up\ncost basis for the home. This way, if Jill wants to sell, there wouldn\u2019t be capital\ngains tax on any appreciation on the home dating all the way back to when Jack\nfirst acquired it. Transferring the house upon death\nthrough a revocable living trust gets the same tax advantage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In some states, there is the option of a transfer\non death deed<\/a> for real estate, to convey the home to a beneficiary\nthrough a notarized Affidavit of Death form. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

These are all examples of the right way to transfer a house\nupon death. In each case, the deed receives the benefit of an official transfer\nand preserves a good chain of title.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If Jill had paid money to Jack for the house, would that have ensured Jill\u2019s rights? Not necessarily. A buyer should record the deed. Otherwise there\u2019s still a risk that Jack could sell the property twice.<\/a> A later buyer who had no notice of Jill\u2019s earlier deed because it went unrecorded is a bona fide purchaser, and is usually deemed the legitimate owner of the property. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are unrecorded deeds always invalid? No. While some states, like North Carolina<\/a>, expect a gift deed for real estate to be recorded within two years to be valid, most states don\u2019t invalidate unrecorded deeds. But those deed transfers are valid only between the transferor and the recipient, and their heirs. The rest of the world \u2014 including the title insurance industry \u2014 lacks legal notice of the transfer, because there is no public record.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key takeaways:<\/em><\/strong> Prevent problems and legal\nactions down the road. Never accept a deed you\u2019re asked not to record. When you\nacquire real estate, be sure the deed is recorded immediately. The recorder\u2019s\noffice has instructions on what to include with the filing, and the fee and\npayment methods. PS: It\u2019s a good idea to purchase an owner’s title policy. The\ntitle insurance company can explain to you how it handles the risk of\nunrecorded as well as improperly recorded deeds, and what conditions\napply. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Problem With \u201cPocket Deeds\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A quitclaim is a legal document that transfers an interest\nin real property to another person. The quitclaim only conveys whatever ownership\nrights the person transferring the property actually has \u2014 with no guarantees. Quitclaim\ndeeds are often used between relatives. Because these conveyances occur without\nprofessional assistance, they sometimes go unrecorded, creating title questions.\nFor example, after the homeowner dies and the new owner steps up, how is it\npossible to prove there was an honest delivery of the deed between the parties\nif it wasn\u2019t memorialized through a recording of the deed? This is what the\nFlorida Bar calls \u201cthe problem with pocket deeds.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In contrast to quitclaims, warranty deeds involve title companies. Title companies abhor ambiguity. They often refuse to insure property<\/a> with an unclear ownership history, or they might require a court declaration first. By sending notice to anyone with potential ownership claims, a quiet title action can clear up ambiguities<\/a> and assure the title company that no one has a competing interest in the property\u2019s value.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Without this clarity, future owners will hold unmarketable\ntitle. And that can really haunt a house. As long as title defects or\nambiguities remain, potential future buyers would have trouble getting title\ninsurance and a mortgage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep a Clean Title. Always Record the Deed.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you hold a deed to real property, the last thing you need\nto jump at you are questions about whether you or a prior owner obtained the\nproperty legitimately, from a person with the right to transfer the house to\nyou. Various and unexpected challenges can arise, given the complex title\nhistories of most homes. But whenever deeds are challenged, their holders are\nin stronger positions if they have publicly recorded them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in mind that each state has its own recording statute, and each challenge is case-specific. So, if a monster ever does pop out from under the bed, meeting with a real estate attorney is the best way to proceed. We hope the tips above help you to recognize the pitfalls of unrecorded deeds, and the avoid preventable conflicts and expenses that may follow. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photo credit: Phil Hearing<\/a>, via Unsplash. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

No homeowner wants to find out there\u2019s a deed in the home\u2019s past that went unrecorded. But it can happen. In the normal transaction, at the time of the legal transfer of real estate, the deed is filed with the county recorder\u2019s office, placing the new owner\u2019s name in the public record. Why would anyone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[71,53],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general","category-recording"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Monster Under the Bed: When a Home\u2019s Past Holds an Unrecorded Deed - Deeds.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In the normal transaction, at the time of the legal transfer of real estate, the deed is filed with the county recorder\u2019s office, placing the new owner\u2019s name in the public record. 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