My father owned the current farm before him marrying my step mother and he passed away a few years ago. His name cannot be taken off of the farm, because he did not leave a will and my brother did not take his estate thru probate. My step mother can not get a clean deed for the land, because I will not Quick Claim my share. Can the state still take this farm?
I am wondering if there is a deadline for filing Probate after a death? Some states do have a deadline. Iowa's is 5 years
As to a filing deadline with the local probate court, just call it and ask about a deadline to file for an estate.
Sounds like you need to find someone local to answer your questions. Seek out the local extension agent, county clerk, who could direct you to a pro bono (free) legal workshop. Here is a link to an ag probate flyer I found online:
http://agebb.missouri.edu/agtax/issues/estgift/probate.pdf
It does sound like Missouri requires probate to settle estates. Keep us posted.
My question is today, is if Missouri has a probate filing deadline. Some states do have deadlines and they are from 5 -10 years.
I wasn't suggesting that a as a remedy for TexasHair though - just that getting that kind of report would bring out the issues needed to get clear title.
Interested in what you find out - not sure how much money any of the kids have if they had to actually cough up some to pay for mom's care in order to actually get their land
Years ago during real estate downturns, law firms for which I worked handled commercial foreclosures. We didn't ask for a title commitment, which would identify what interests needed to be addressed for a purchase or sale; we asked for foreclosure searches, which go into more depth on interests that need to be resolved and/or extinguished during an equity (as opposed to an advertisement) foreclosure.
This literally draws out of the woodwork all of the interests of record. If title companies are still preparing what we then knew as that kind of search, it would bring out all the interests and/or conflicts of what seems to be a somewhat complex title issue.
My brother and half brother both signed and filed their QCD. My brother built a house on this farm and my father deeded him 4 acres back in 2001. My father never had a new warranty deed done on the farm after giving my brother his land. My brother does have a warranty deed for his land. My half brother is wanting my brother to purchase the all the land and that is why he signed the QCD.
My stepmother's lawyer emailed me a letter requesting that I place $7,000.00 in a fund for her exspences for transferring my share of land. I told him that I would pay the people for the transfer and that amount was $234.50, but nothing has ever happen. I really believe she will not be approved for Medicaid.
Also when their at the NH they must pay their income to the NH as their SOC (share of cost). This places another fun! problem, in that stepmom will have no - none - nada of her income to pay on anything on the farm from here on out. Someone within the family will have to pay all the costs on the house now an till death and then through the probate process. Taxes, maintenance, insurance etc. It adds up. For most, property gets sold within the first few months of their being in a NH.
So Tex, who is gonna pay for everything on the farm from now on? Really you need Missouri legal to figure out just where you & stepmom are in legal ownership asap & before too much $$ & time passes.
I'd be concerned that if the QCD was never filed at courthouse, so that the property has been like forever in your Dad's & stepmom's names, that it's basically without any standing. QCD is not a warranty deed and there is no guarantee of ownership like in a warranty deed.
Tex are you on good terms with whomever is doing the paperwork for step-mom? Doing things with ownership at any time from now to 5 years back, will have an eligibility problem for her. Probably with a transfer penalty. If you all are not at all kum-ba-ya to begin with, this could get quite ugly.
Whatever the case, there's intestate death & lineal heirship issues and then the possibility of stepmom being ineligible for Medicaid due to the QCD done. Plus the whole sticky of QCD not being a guarantee of ownership & also it seems you never went to the courthouse to register the QCD as the deed is still in their names. You all need an attorney.
I'd guess that what is probably going to happen is if the property shows up tax assessor records as an asset owned by her & your dad, then if she applies for Medicaid (Medicaid NOT Medicare) - which is a state program (Medicare is federal) the farm if that is her homestead will be an exempt asset during her lifetime but when she dies, Medicaid is required to do estate recovery to offset the costs paid for her care. This is the MERP program and all states have to have it in place. Each state runs MERP uniquely & very much interdependent on the states laws on probate, property rights, etc. If the farm is not her homestead, then it's an asset & will need to be sold with the proceeds down as her spend-down before Medicaid will pay.
You never filed the QCD?
States generally have laws for people who die intestate (without a will) specifying the order of asset distribution.
It sounds as if there are some family issues as well as the title issue. I assume you won't quit (not quick) claim your interest for various reasons, including that you don't want your stepmother to have the property. So apparently you were one of the heirs, or were named on the deed jointly with your father? It sounds also as if the property became yours after your father's death, by virtue of holding joint title with him. Further, that your stepmother wants to remove you from ownership but you don't agree?
I'm just trying to read between the lines here to figure out the situation.
I'm not clear on why the state would acquire the property. Was your father on Medicaid?
Check this out: it addresses Missouri laws on the assets of someone who dies intestate. You can also google "Missouri intestate laws" to get more information.
http://www.moga.mo.gov/mostatutes/stathtml/47400000101.HTML
But I think the issue is more between you and your stepmother, so we can't really answer thoroughly without some knowledge of that situation as well as whether or not your father was getting Medicaid.