Can we gift land to my parents while still paying the mortgage?

Full question:

My husband and I would like to give my mother and father a piece of land (29.25 acres). We owe around $63,000 on it. We want to give them a General Warranty Deed (for Christmas) that shows the property being in their name..conveyed to them by us (we have the General Warranty Deed in our name now). We still want to make the payments on it to the bank until paid off. Are we legally allowed to do this? If so, what are the steps I need to take to make this happen?

  • Category: Real Property
  • Subcategory: Sales
  • Date:
  • State: Tennessee

Answer:

If there’s a mortgage on the property, transferring it may trigger a due-on-sale clause. This clause allows the lender to demand full payment of the loan if the property is sold, transferred, or gifted without their consent. Most mortgages contain such clauses, which require the original borrowers to remain the owners of the property while the loan is outstanding.

Before proceeding, review your mortgage agreement carefully. It may be necessary to contact your lender to get their approval for the transfer. If you do not obtain consent, the lender might enforce the due-on-sale clause and require immediate repayment of the loan.

This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.

FAQs

Proof of ownership of a property is typically called a deed. A deed is a legal document that conveys title from one party to another. It includes details about the property and the parties involved. The most common types of deeds are warranty deeds and quitclaim deeds, each serving different purposes in property transfers.