Laws, Regulations & Annotations

C

220.0000 CHANGE IN OWNERSHIP

Annotation 220.0364.005

220.0364.005 Life Estate—Personal Lifetime Right of Occupancy. One joint tenant conveys her joint tenancy interest in real property to the other joint tenant and pursuant to a separate written agreement, the transferor retains a personal lifetime right of occupancy in the residence until her death. Under this agreement, the transferee may not sell or transfer the residence during the transferor's lifetime; the transferor is responsible for the mortgage payments, taxes, utilities, maintenance and other costs associated with the residence during her lifetime; the transferee may occupy the residence or rent the residence to a third party only if the transferor is absent from the residence due to the need to move to a hospital or nursing home; if the residence is rented, the transferor is to receive the net proceeds from the rental of the residence.

The transferor retains the present beneficial use of her interest in the property, which includes the right to occupy real property or the right to receive the income produced by real property. Therefore, the transfer did not result in a change in ownership because the transferor's retained interest is equivalent to a life estate in the property. C 8/18/2004.