Recent Answers to Co-Ownership Agreement Law Questions
Is a co-ownership agreement necessary when purchasing a property with a friend?
Property
Co-Ownership Agreement
Massachusetts
I am considering purchasing a property with a friend, and we want to ensure that our rights and responsibilities are clearly defined. We have a good relationship and trust each other, but we have heard that it is advisable to have a co-ownership agreement in place to avoid potential conflicts or disputes in the future. We want to know if it is necessary to have such an agreement and what it should include to protect both parties' interests in case of any unforeseen circumstances or changes in our circumstances or relationship.
Joshua D.
Technically, no, such an agreement is not "required." However, you are smart to avoid putting all of your faith in a pre-existing friendship (for the benefit of ownership and the friendship). A strong agreement should cover things such as use and payment of rent between the co-owners, duties of repair, payment of expenses/taxes, the sale of the property, assignment of rights, survivability, and any other thing you can think of that might occur during the time you own the property.
Need advice on Co-ownership Agreement.
Real Estate
Co-Ownership Agreement
New York
I am considering purchasing a property with a friend and we want to draft a Co-ownership Agreement to outline our rights and responsibilities. However, we have different financial contributions and I want to ensure that my investment is protected in case of any disputes or if one of us wants to sell the property. Can you provide guidance on what should be included in the agreement to address these concerns and any other important aspects we should consider?
Damien B.
Hello. An option is to create an LLC to purchase the property. This would provide liability protection. As part of the LLC, the members would have an Operating Agreement outlining the terms and conditions of managing the LLC (which owns the property), including provisions regarding financial contributions, disbursement, resolutions of disputes or disagreements, and how a property sale would occur.