This is absolutely devastating. Paul was, hands down, the most knowledgable, the most helpful member of this forum. To say that he will be missed doesn't even come close to the mark. The forum will simply not be the same without him, because all of us who post here on notary issues always waited to see if Paul would weigh in on the matter. And when he did, it was always the definitive answer.
All that aside, though, Paul had one distnction above all others. He was a gentleman, in the original and the fullest sense of the term.
This was his last post, on July 3. Like all his contributions, this one nailed the issues head on.
*** You're right. Dower and curtesy have been abolished and Connecticut is not a community property state. Although Connecticut does not have homestead laws that mirror other states, there is a post judgment exemption under C.G.S 52-352a(t) up to $75,000 based on fair market value less statutory liens or voluntary liens. A spouse does not have to join on a conveyance of the homestead or any other conveyance of real property. (Source: Stewart Title)
If spouse isn't around, she can't sign anyway. IMO, it appears that the title company (probably a non-CT business) is assuming that the spouse must sign the "legals", which isn't true in CT. I would check with title explaining to them the conditions mentioned in the first paragraph above and see what they have to say about getting the spouse's signatures. ***
RIP. |