Renie
Mar 10, 2010, 01:58 PM
My husband took out a home equity loan in 2003 and from all papers found, my signature is not on any of the paperwork. He died in 2009. Am I, his wife, responsible to pay remainder of home equity loan?
ebaines
Mar 11, 2010, 10:40 AM
I am going to assume that the house was titled in your husband's name only - because if you were joint owners you would have been required to sign the loan papers (since the house would have been used as collateral against the loan). When your husband died I suspect that the home equity loan would have become due, payable out of his estate's assets. So no - you are not liable to pay his loan (assuming you never signed anything), but your husband's estate IS responsible. The bank would come after his estate to be repaid, and which could mean they come after the house itself.