A co-borrower is any additional borrower whose name appears on loan documents and whose income and credit history are used to qualify for the loan. Under this arrangement, all parties involved have an obligation to repay the loan. For mortgages, the names of applicable co-borrowers also appear on the property's title.
Co-borrower: A co-borrower shares financial responsibility and ownership of the car from day one. Their name will likely appear on the car title with the other borrower. Both borrowers typically contribute toward monthly payments.
A co-borrower is someone who joins you, the primary borrower, in the mortgage application process. 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.
You can remove a co‑borrower, but you'll need to renegotiate your loan.
Since the borrower and co-borrower are equally responsible for the mortgage payments and both may have a claim to the property, the simple answer is that it likely doesn't matter. In most cases, a co-borrower is simply someone who appears on the loan documents in addition to the borrower.
Cosigners can take the primary borrower to court if the primary borrower fails to repay the loan or otherwise fails to fulfill the terms of their agreement. As you learn about getting a cosigner, you'll see that they can help you get a loan you may not otherwise qualify for.
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.
Shared debt liability: Both co-borrowers are liable for the debt. That means that any missed or late payments can potentially hurt your credit. On the other hand, on-time payments may help your credit score.
The potential risks of co-signing an auto loan
If the primary borrower doesn't make their monthly loan payment, you will be asked to make the payment. Any missed payments could also appear on your credit reports and impact your credit scores, making it harder for you to get credit in the future.
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.
Even though you both own the car, you may not both need to be present when you sell or trade the vehicle. When you need to sell the car but the co-borrower can't be there, you may be able to sign over the title without them, but you can't do it without their permission.
As a co-borrower, gaining substantial benefit from a loan means that you receive a reasonable portion of the benefit. So, for example, if you were to take out a home loan with your partner to buy a property in which you had an equal share, you would both be substantially benefitting.
When evaluating borrowers for a joint mortgage, the lender cares less about who is listed first, and more about the sum of the applicants' earnings and debts. In general, the lender evaluates the application the way the applicants submit it, without regard to whose name is listed first.
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.
Ownership Rights: A crucial difference between a co-signer and a co-borrower relates to the ownership of the vehicle. A co-borrower, also known as a joint applicant, shares equal ownership rights of the car with the primary borrower. They have legal authority to use the vehicle as they please.
Key takeaways
Adding a co-borrower or a co-signer can improve your approval odds and help you secure better terms. Co-signers back the loan but don't have access to the funds, whereas co-borrowers can access the borrowed funds. Being a co-signer or a co-borrower can impact your credit and comes with financial risks.
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.
You both must agree to sell it. You may even have challenges selling your interest property.
Ending a Cosigned Car Loan. As the cosigner, you can't remove the primary borrower from the loan. Unfortunately, since you have no legal rights to the vehicle, the primary borrower has to take the initiative to remove someone's name from the contract.
While only one co-borrower will retain ownership of the home after the other is removed from the mortgage, the departing co-borrower may still have to take additional action to remove their name from the house title and give up their ownership rights.
For example, borrowers typically face application fees, appraisal fees and other closing costs that can total between 2% and 5% of the mortgage principal. Maintain original interest rate: A primary incentive to remove someone from a mortgage without refinancing is to keep the original interest rate.
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.
You can take legal action against them for breaching the agreement you both made or seek a court order to force the sale of the property. It's important to consult with a lawyer to understand your legal rights and options and to make the best decisions for your situation.