Does sigining the mortgage make a spouse a co-borrower?
I am married in the state of Illinois. My husband owned our house before we got married, and my name is not on the deed. He is about to refinance, and the lenders want me to sign: a Truth in Lending, the mortgage (not the mortgage note), and a form that says I can cancel within 3 days. My husband has re-financed before, and I never had to sign anything. I am told that Illinois laws have changed, requiring the spouse to be aware of what is going on. The lenders say that my signature on the mortgage will not make me a co-borrower, but I am very skeptical. I do not want to assume responsibility for payment of something that I do not own, and I do not want that debt to be on my credit history. We have 1 child together, and he has 3 from a previous marriage, so according to Illinois law, it is my understanding, that in the event of his death, (without a will), the spouse is entitled to 50%, and the children share the other 50%. They claim that they have not checked my credit, and that my name des not show up anywhere in their documents. My husband is retired (he was not retired at the time of the previous refinancings), and works part time. I am still employed full time, and have been on my job for over 20 years. I wonder if the fact that he is retired has anything to do with requiring my signature? What I need to know:
Does my signature on the mortgage, the TIL, and the option to rescind make me a co-borrower? Will the debt show up on my credit.
Thanks for your help