2 Reasons People Transfer Their Out-Of-State Real Estate to Their Limited Liability Company

Estate Planning with Paul Rabalais

Some people own real estate in their own state, and they also own real estate in another state. There is often a right way and a wrong way to structure ownership of these properties.

The following are two reasons people transfer their out-of-state real estate to a limited liability company (LLC).

The most often cited reason to transfer real estate to an LLC is to protect yourself from potential lawsuits or other liabilities. Here's the deal: if you own real estate in your name in another state, and someone gets injured on the property, the injured party will sue the owner of the property (you). And if they are successful in their lawsuit against you, you will have to satisfy a judgment from your personal assets. So, your personal assets are at risk if you own real estate in your name.

However, if you transfer your property to your LLC, and someone gets injured, that injured party will sue the owner of the property (the LLC), and your personal assets are protected.

A second reason people transfer their out of state property to an LLC is to avoid the ancillary probate. When you die with assets in your name, your survivors will be required to go through a court proceeding ("Probate" or "Succession" - same thing really) and have the government's court system oversee the administration and disbursement of your things - some people consider this to be tedious, time-consuming, and expensive. And if you own real estate in your name in another state (outside of your home state), your survivors must hire a law firm in that other state to transfer your out of state property to your heirs. The "home-state" probate does not transfer out of state real estate that is titled in your name when you die. So, some people transfer their out of state real estate to an LLC to (1) gain limited liability; and (2) avoid the ancillary probate. The ownership of your LLC that owns out-of-state real estate can be transferred through your home-state probate.

Another alternate is to transfer your out-of-state real estate to an LLC (get limited liability and avoid ancillary probate), and then transfer your LLC to a revocable living trust so that an in-state probate is not even necessary to transfer your ownership interest in the LLC when you pass away. Don't try this at home! This is not a do-it-yourself task. If you live in Louisiana and want to get these benefits, contact my office.

There are many things to consider when taking these actions. Prior to transferring your property to an LLC, check with your lender (if you have a mortgage on the property), and check with your liability insurer (to make sure your insurance won't have to shift to a commercial policy). Make sure you get good legal help to cover all your bases and get the peace of mind you deserve.

This post is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. Please do not act or refrain from acting based on anything you read on this site. Using this site or communicating with Rabalais Estate Planning, LLC, through this site does not form an attorney/client relationship.

Paul Rabalais

Louisiana Estate Planning Attorney

www.RabalaisEstatePlanning.com

Phone: [phone]