Q&A

Can a deceased owner transfer title to real estate?

Can a deceased owner transfer title to real estate?

The deceased owner held title with multiple owners, but none survived the deceased owner. In these situations, there is no right of survivorship to automatically transfer title to the real estate to the surviving owners. This means that some legal documentation is needed to transfer title.

Can a property be inherited from a deceased owner?

The recipient can avoid risk by rejecting the inheritance —or, as most do, by obtaining title insurance. If the deceased owner held the property jointly, the deed names every owner. And if the title was vested in the deceased as a tenant in common, each person held a specific percentage of the property.

Can a person still live in the home of a deceased relative?

Living in the home of the relative who died – maybe because you were caring for him or her — does not mean you have the legal right to stay there after their death. For example, the deceased may have left the home to someone else in their will. If there is no will, who gets the house will be determined by the deceased’s state of residence.

The deceased owner held title with multiple owners, but none survived the deceased owner. In these situations, there is no right of survivorship to automatically transfer title to the real estate to the surviving owners. This means that some legal documentation is needed to transfer title.

The recipient can avoid risk by rejecting the inheritance —or, as most do, by obtaining title insurance. If the deceased owner held the property jointly, the deed names every owner. And if the title was vested in the deceased as a tenant in common, each person held a specific percentage of the property.

Living in the home of the relative who died – maybe because you were caring for him or her — does not mean you have the legal right to stay there after their death. For example, the deceased may have left the home to someone else in their will. If there is no will, who gets the house will be determined by the deceased’s state of residence.