Does a co-borrower own the home?

Asked by: Deanna Mueller  |  Last update: May 23, 2025
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A co-borrower is someone who applies for a loan with you and shares joint responsibility for repaying the loan. Both borrowers on the application are responsible for repayment. Generally, co-borrowers share the title of the home. But this isn't always the case since the loan and the title are separate.

Does a co-borrower have rights to the house?

While both share the financial responsibility, a co-signer is not included on the property's title and does not have ownership rights. In contrast, a co-borrower is listed on both the mortgage and the title, holding an ownership stake in the property.

Does a co-borrower go on the title?

Their credentials are used, in conjunction with yours, to qualify for a home loan. This means they share the financial responsibility of loan repayment and have partial ownership of the asset. For our purposes, the asset will be your home. This means your co-borrowers' name will appear next to yours on the title.

Can a co-borrower take possession of the house after?

If the other party stops making payments, as co-owner, you can take possession of the property. This is not the case as a co-signer. Remember that a co-signer is not on the title of the property and cannot take ownership of it. Getting a home loan with a partner is the same as if applying solo.

Can you remove a co-borrower from a mortgage?

If you can work out an arrangement with the co-borrower, paying off the mortgage will retire the loan and remove all names from the mortgage. This may require additional steps once the sale is complete, as you and the other party may need to work out compensation or ownership after settling the loan.

What Is A Co-Borrower On A Mortgage? - CountyOffice.org

31 related questions found

Can you take someone's name off a mortgage without refinancing?

It may be possible to take a person's name off your mortgage documents without refinancing. Ask your mortgage lender about loan assumption and loan modification. Either strategy can remove a former co-owner's name from the mortgage.

Is it better to have a co-borrower on a mortgage?

Key takeaways. A co-borrower on a mortgage shares ownership of the property and responsibility for making mortgage payments. Adding a co-borrower to a mortgage can increase your chances of approval, get you a better rate, and allow for purchasing a larger or more expensive home.

What rights does a co-buyer have?

As an equal partner on the financial agreement, a co-buyer shares the benefits of ownership and the financial accountability. This means that the co-buyer and the primary borrower have the same rights, such as the ability to sell the vehicle or trade it in (though both parties would have to agree to do so).

Can a person move into my jointly owned home without my permission?

Co-Owner's Right to Access the Property

A fundamental rule of co-ownership in California is that: “One of the essential unities of a joint tenancy is that of possession. Each tenant owns an equal interest in all of the fee, and each has an equal right to possession of the whole. Possession by one is possession by all.

What happens if a co-borrower on a mortgage dies?

In most cases, the responsibility of the mortgage will be passed to the beneficiary of the home if there is a will. If you applied for your mortgage with a co-borrower or co-signer, the solution is relatively simple: The other party must continue paying the loan.

What are the benefits of a co-borrower?

Benefits of a Co-Borrower

While a co-borrower can be beneficial for a lender, it can also help a debtor who is unable to qualify for a loan or favorable loan terms. Having multiple borrowers on a loan can also increase the amount of principal credit approved on the loan.

Can my wife be on the mortgage but not the title?

It is possible for a borrower to be on the loan but not on the title of a property. This can occur in situations where the borrower is acting as a non-occupant co-borrower to help a relative or friend qualify for a mortgage, but does not have any ownership in the property.

Who has the deed to my house if I have a mortgage?

You, as the homeowner, typically hold the house deed to your property, even with a mortgage. The house deed and mortgage are separate legal documents with different purposes. A deed proves ownership and transfers title, while a mortgage is a loan agreement.

Can you kick a co owner out of a house?

Miller & Starr, the leading treatise on California real estate, explains that: “As between the cotenants, each has the right to enter on and to occupy the entire property, and no cotenant has the right to exclude another cotenant from any portion of the property.” Right to possession, 4 Cal. Real Est. (4th ed.)

Can a co-borrower be on a loan but not on title?

Generally, co-borrowers share the title of the home. But this isn't always the case since the loan and the title are separate. Be aware that if you're a co-borrower and your name isn't on the title, you'll still be responsible for paying off the mortgage – but won't have the right to use the house.

Can I sue my co-borrower?

Yes, you can sue the person you co-signed for if they don't make the payments they promised to make. You may be able to get a judgment against them in court, but it could be hard to collect that money since they didn't pay the debt in the first place.

What happens when one partner wants to sell and the other doesn't?

If you find yourself in a situation where one owner wants to sell the property but the others don't, there are a few different options to consider. These may include negotiating a buyout agreement, seeking mediation or arbitration, or taking legal action to force a sale.

How do you separate from someone you own a house with?

Essentially, based on your circumstances, you have three options.
  1. Purchase each other's interest. An easy solution is for one of the parties to quitclaim their interest to the other. ...
  2. Sell the house outright. ...
  3. Partition the property.

Can a co-owner sell a property without the others' permission?

The property must be sold by all owners together. ALSO READ What Is Joint Tenancy With Right of Survivorship in California? However, in a tenancy in common, one owner can sell their share of the property without the consent of the other owner(s). This sale does not affect the ownership rights of the other owner(s).

Does a co buyer go on the title?

Co-buyers can combine incomes, and both of their names appear on the car's title. If one borrower misses a payment, the other is responsible for coming up with it, and both of their credit scores and credit reports are affected. A cosigner, on the other hand, doesn't have any rights to the vehicle.

Can you remove yourself as a co-buyer?

"Generally, you'll need the cooperation of the primary account holder to remove your name as a co-signer since, in many cases, it requires a new agreement with the lender to do so," says Leslie Tayne, a financial attorney and founder and managing director of New York's Tayne Law Group, which specializes in debt ...

How do I get out of being a co buyer?

Removing a cosigner or co-borrower from a mortgage almost always requires paying off the loan in full or refinancing by getting a new loan in your own name. Under rare circumstances, though, the lender may allow you to take over an existing mortgage from your other signer.

Who owns the house, borrower or co-borrower?

Both parties become co-credit applicants, taking on the financial risk of the mortgage together. This means the co-borrower essentially owns the house too, whether they live in it or not.

Can a co-buyer take the car from the buyer?

Yes. Each of your have a right to keep the vehicle in your posession. However, if you try to get the vehicle from the other owner, you cannot breach the peace to take it, and example: you cannot break into a garage or somethng like that.

What rights does a co-borrower have?

Rights of co-borrowers

All areas of the property are accessible to each individual. Also, each owner decides who receives her share of the property when she dies. So not all owners will receive their share. The other co-owners must consent to the sale of an owner's share.