AKRON -- Summit County Probate Judge Todd McKenney has only been on the job for a matter of weeks, but already he's found what he believes could be a significant savings for married homeowners if they take the necessary legal steps now.
McKenney has launched a pro-active program to review residential deeds to ensure there is "survivorship" wording in the text should either spouse die.
Without it, McKenney said, a full probate review is required by law and will likely cost a widow or widower $2,500-$3,000 in fees. With survivorship wording, the probate court can often be skipped altogether.
An initial review of homes in Reminderville found that about a third of the community's 1,500 home deeds are missing the language, McKenney said.
As part of McKenney's program, some probate attorneys with the Akron Bar Association are offering to update the deeds for a flat rate of $100. Call 330-253-5038 for more information. McKenney is also looking for community groups willing to volunteer to review the deeds via computers and records in county offices. For more information, call 330-643-2330.
The legal benefit to creating a survivorship clause on your home deed exists in all 88 Ohio counties, McKenney said.
Deeds to homes purchased since 1988 are accessible via the Summit County Fiscal Officer's web page.
To view your deed on-line:
- Go to the Fiscal Office Records page
- Click "Records" and then "Continue"
- Search by "Last name", "First name" and click on the appropriate results.
- Search for the deed that corresponds with the desired home and review the language for words such as "survivor".
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