Adding your spouse to property deed is simple and smart

I purchased a short sale property because my debt was going to decline substantially as a result of downsizing. I was the only one on the mortgage application as my income could support the mortgage without considering my wife’s income.

When we got to the closing table, all of the documents from the financial institution executing the short sale had only me on them, and therefore, I was listed as the only purchaser. We had no time to change the deed to be in both of our names at closing.

I am interested in having my wife on the deed. However, a neighbor suggested that there could be tax ramifications if I now try to put my wife on the deed. Is this true? — C.C.

DEAR C.C. » I can’t understand why there would be any tax other than a minor fee for having your wife put on the deed. I certainly would suggest that your wife be on the deed, simply because if you pass away, it’s her property, and if she passes away, it is your property. You will have to satisfy the lender of your wife’s credit worthiness, but that should be no problem.

DEAR BRUCE » In the past month I have received several official-looking court documents as attachments to email. My email program tells me they are dangerous and very likely come from a malicious source. I deleted them.

Still, I can see small images of the court documents and they look legal, and I am asked in the email to open the at-

tachment, complete it and return it before a given court date. Have courts begun using email to obtain information from people? — J.P.

DEAR J.P. >> The courts are not using email to contact people. Contact is done officially through the court system. It sounds to me like a scam. They are just trying to get information from you that you don’t want to give them.