BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó





                             SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
                         Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, Chair
                             2015-2016  Regular  Session


          AB 139 (Gatto)
          Version: June 29, 2015
          Hearing Date: July 7, 2015
          Fiscal: Yes
          Urgency: No
          TMW


                                        SUBJECT
                                           
             Nonprobate transfers:  revocable transfer upon death deeds

                                      DESCRIPTION 

          This bill would create a new nonprobate property transfer  
          instrument, the "Simple Revocable Transfer on Death (TOD) Deed,"  
          which would be effective upon death of the transferor.   
          Specifically, this bill would:
           establish rules for the making and revocation of a revocable  
            TOD deed, and provide a mandatory statutory form deed and form  
            revocation;
           outline the beneficiary's liability for debts of the  
            transferor and the procedure for restitution to the estate by  
            the beneficiary of the revocable TOD deed;
           establish the procedure for contesting a revocable TOD deed  
            and for a creditor to collect payment for the transferor's  
            debts;
           require the California Law Revision Commission to report back  
            to the Legislature on or before January 1, 2020, on specified  
            data concerning the use, misuse, or misunderstanding of the  
            revocable TOD deed and recommendations for change; and
           make other conforming changes.

          This bill would sunset on January 1, 2021.

          (This analysis reflects author's amendments to be offered in  
          Committee.)

                                      BACKGROUND  









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          In 2005, AB 12 (DeVore, Chapter 422, Statutes of 2005) was  
          introduced as a bill to create the instrument that AB 139 now  
          calls "revocable transfer on death deed," but was subsequently  
          amended to instead direct the California Law Revision Commission  
          (CLRC) to study this type of deed and determine whether  
          California should create it as a new nonprobate transfer  
          instrument that becomes effective only upon the death of the  
          transferor.  The study was recommended for the following  
          reasons:  (1) there is a 1914 California case that already  
          allows for the use of beneficiary deeds (another name for the  
          revocable TOD deed) that has never been overturned (Tennant v.  
          John Tennant Memorial Home (1914) 167 Cal. 570); (2) various  
          parties, including the California Land Title Company, the  
          California Judges Association, and the Trusts and Estates  
          Section of the State Bar, expressed strong opposition to the  
          bill for lack of clarity and failure to address unintended  
          consequences; and (3) there existed the possibility of countless  
          litigation because of the potential impact of a beneficiary deed  
          on the transferor's property ownership and of fraudulent  
          transfers.

          The CLRC was directed to address a non-exclusive list of issues  
          in its study, including, for example, whether and when a  
          beneficiary deed would be the most appropriate nonprobate  
          transfer mechanism to use, if a beneficiary deed should be  
          recorded or held by the grantor or grantee until the time of  
          death, and, if not recorded, whether a potential for fraud is  
          created and what effect the recordation of a beneficiary deed  
          would have on the transferor's property rights after  
          recordation.  The CLRC issued its recommendation in October  
          2006, noting that while the deed has advantages and  
          disadvantages, "creation of a TOD deed would be beneficial in  
          California."

          In 2009, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform  
          State Laws finalized a Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death  
          Act, which provides a simple procedure for the transfer of real  
          property outside of probate.  That Act has been enacted in eight  
          states, and 19 other states have enacted various acts for the  
          same purpose.  This bill is not based on that Act but, instead,  
          maintains the CLRC recommended proposal with modifications from  
          each legislative attempt to enact it.

          Accordingly, this bill would create a method and mandatory form  
          for the transfer of real property upon the death of the  







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          transferor.  This bill is substantially similar to AB 250  
          (DeVore, 2007), which incorporated recommendations of the CLRC  
          and failed passage in this Committee on a vote of 1-3.  This  
          bill is also substantially similar to AB 724 (DeVore, 2010),  
          which failed passage in the Senate Appropriations Committee.   
          This bill is also substantially similar to AB 699 (Wagner,  
          2011), which failed passage in this Committee on a vote of 1-4.

                                CHANGES TO EXISTING LAW
           
           Existing law  provides various methods by which a person may  
          transfer his or her real property interests to another person  
          upon death, such as through a will (Prob. Code Sec. 6100 et  
          seq.), a trust (Prob. Code Sec. 15000 et seq.), a joint tenancy  
          with right of survivorship (Civ. Code Sec. 683), community  
          property with right of survivorship (Civ. Code Sec. 682.1), an  
          intervivos transfer with reserved life estate (Tennant v. John  
          Tennant Memorial Home (1914) Cal. 570.), and a nonprobate  
          transfer (Prob. Code Secs. 13000, 13500).

           Existing law  provides that, unless otherwise provided, when one  
          spouse dies intestate leaving property that passes to the other  
          spouse, or dies testate and by will leaves the property to the  
          surviving spouse, the property passes to the surviving spouse,  
          as specified, and no probate administration is necessary.   
          (Prob. Code Sec. 13500.)

           Existing law  provides that title to a decedent's property,  
          subject to probate administration and the rights of  
          beneficiaries, creditors, and other persons as provided by law,  
          passes on the decedent's death to the person to whom it is  
          devised in the decedent's last will or, in the absence of such a  
          devise, to the decedent's heirs as prescribed in the laws  
          governing intestate succession.  (Prob. Code Secs. 7000, 7001.)

           Existing law  authorizes a successor of the decedent (a  
          beneficiary) to collect personal property of the decedent from  
          the holder of the property through an affidavit procedure, which  
          requires, among other things, the successor to declare under  
          penalty of perjury that no other person has a superior right to  
          the interest of the decedent in the described property, and, if  
          the decedent's estate includes real property, an inventory and  
          appraisal of the real property must be attached to the  
          affidavit.  (Prob. Code Secs. 13100, 13101, 13103.)  That  
          procedure can be utilized after 40 days have elapsed since the  







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          date of the decedent's death, the total gross fair market value  
          of the decedent's real and personal property is $150,000 or less  
          (a "small estate"), and there has been no probate  
          administration.  (Prob. Code Sec. 13100.)

           Existing law  authorizes a person claiming to be a successor of  
          the decedent to petition the court for transfer of a particular  
          item of real property, if 40 days have elapsed since the death  
          of the decedent, without procuring letters of administration or  
          awaiting probate of the will, and requires the petitioner to  
          complete an affidavit declaring, among other things, that the  
          real property is valued at $50,000 or less and no other person  
          has a superior right to the interest of the decedent in the  
          described property.  (Prob. Code Sec. 13151.)  Existing law also  
          requires the petitioner to attach an inventory and appraisal of  
          all of the decedent's real property.  (Id.)

           Existing law  authorizes a successor of the decedent to complete  
          an affidavit, not earlier than six months after the date of the  
          decedent's death, to be filed with the clerk of the court, for  
          transfer of one or more particular items of a decedent's real  
          property in an amount of $50,000 or less if the gross fair  
          market value of the decedent's real and personal property in  
          this state does not exceed $150,000, an inventory and appraisal  
          of the real property is attached to the affidavit, and the  
          successor declares, among other things, that the funeral  
          expenses, expenses of last illness, and all unsecured debts of  
          the decedent have been paid.  (Prob. Code Sec. 13200.)

           Existing law  also authorizes the trustee of a trust, which is  
          considered a beneficiary of the deceased settlor, to utilize  
          these procedures to transfer an item of real or personal  
          property of the decedent into the trust.  (Prob. Code Sec.  
          13051(b).)

           Existing law  makes the successor personally liable to unsecured  
          creditors for the debts of the decedent, any person having a  
          superior right to the property by testate or intestate  
          succession from the decedent, and liable to the estate.  (Prob.  
          Code Secs. 13204, 13205, and 13206.)

           Existing law  provides that, when a husband or wife dies  
          intestate leaving property that passes to the surviving spouse,  
          or dies testate and by his or her will devises all or a part of  
          his or her property to the surviving spouse, the property passes  







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          to the survivor subject to creditors and claimants, and no  
          administration is necessary.  (Prob. Code Sec. 13500.)

           Existing law  , after 40 days from the death of a spouse, provides  
          to the surviving spouse or the personal representative, guardian  
          of the estate, or conservator of the estate of the surviving  
          spouse, full power to sell, convey, lease, mortgage, or  
          otherwise deal with and dispose of the community or  
          quasi-community real property, and the right, title, and  
          interest of any grantee, purchaser, encumbrancer, or lessee  
          shall be free of rights of the estate of the deceased spouse or  
          of devisees or creditors of the deceased spouse to the same  
          extent as if the property had been owned as the separate  
          property of the surviving spouse.  (Prob. Code Sec. 13540.)

           Existing law  makes the surviving spouse personally liable for  
          the debts of the decedent.  (Prob. Code Sec. 13550.)
           
            Existing law  provides that a surviving registered domestic  
          partner, following the death of the other partner, shall have  
          the same rights, protections, and benefits, as are granted to  
          and imposed upon a widow or a widower.  (Fam. Code Sec. 297.5.)
           
          Existing law permits the nonprobate transfer of property on  
          death, including an insurance policy, contract of employment,  
          bond, mortgage, promissory note, certified or uncertified  
          security, account agreement, custodial agreement, deposit  
          agreement, compensation plan, pension plan, individual  
          retirement plan, employee benefit plan, trust, conveyance, deed  
          of gift, marital property agreement, or other written instrument  
          of a similar nature.  (Prob. Code Sec. 5000.)
           
          Existing case law  provides for the nonprobate transfer of real  
          property insofar as persons may execute a revocable deed to a  
          beneficiary while reserving a life estate.  (Tennant v. John  
          Tennant Memorial Home (1914) Cal. 570.)

           Existing law  provides that upon the death of one joint tenant,  
          real property held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship  
          vests immediately in the surviving joint tenant or tenants.   
          (Civ. Code Sec. 683.)

           Existing law  provides that, if a transferee under a will, trust,  
          deed, or other instrument fails to survive the transferor or is  
          treated as if the transferee predeceased the transferor, or  







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          fails to survive a future time, the transfer does not lapse but  
          instead passes to the issue of the deceased transferee, except  
          as otherwise provided.  (Prob. Code Sec. 21110.)
           
          This bill  would establish a new nonprobate transfer instrument,  
          the revocable transfer on death (TOD) deed, for use as specified  
          to transfer real property upon a transferor's death.   
          Specifically, this bill would:
          (1)define the instrument, the simple revocable TOD deed, which  
            would transfer real property to a named beneficiary upon the  
            death of the transferor outside of probate, and establish the  
            rules for the making and the revocation of the instrument; 
          (2)provide a mandatory statutory form of a revocable TOD deed  
            containing the required information, instructions, and answers  
            to a long list of "commonly asked questions" about the  
            instrument;
          (3)establish rules regarding the effect of the execution and  
            recordation of a revocable TOD deed, and their interaction  
            with other types of instruments;
          (4)establish rules for a revocable TOD deed beneficiary's  
            liability for the debts of a transferor, including rules for  
            when an action is filed based on the debts, rules for the  
            beneficiary's liability for restitution under specified  
            circumstances, who may bring an action to enforce the  
            beneficiary's liability, and payment of costs for a proceeding  
            to enforce the beneficiary's liability;
          (5)establish rules regarding the effectuation of the property  
            transfer, and a beneficiary's standing vis á vis a distributee  
            under a final order of distribution if the property was  
            probated;
          (6)establish rules for a contest involving the revocable TOD  
            deed;
          (7)allow only a personal representative to enforce liability of  
            a beneficiary of a revocable TOD deed or any other beneficiary  
            of a decedent with a small estate, to the extent necessary to  
            protect heirs, devisees, and creditors of the  
            transferor-decedent, and, as to creditors, provide for  
            recovery of the reasonable cost of a proceeding under this  
            provision as an extraordinary service by the personal  
            representative or the attorney of the decedent's estate; and 
          (8)make other conforming changes.

           This bill  would direct the California Law Revision Commission to  
          study the effect of the revocable TOD deed as established by  
          this bill and to report to the Legislature on or before January  







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          1, 2020, with specific instructions to study:
          (1)whether the revocable TOD deed is working effectively;
          (2)whether the revocable TOD deed should be continued;
          (3)whether the revocable TOD deed is subject to misuse or  
            misunderstanding;
          (4)what changes should be made to the revocable TOD deed or the  
            law associated with the deed to improve its effectiveness and  
            to avoid misuse or misunderstanding; and
          (5)whether the revocable TOD deed has been used to perpetuate  
            financial abuse on property owners and, if so, how the law  
            should be changed to minimize this abuse.

           This bill  would sunset on January 1, 2021, however, the sunset  
          would not affect the validity or effect of a revocable TOD deed  
          that is executed before January 1, 2021, and would not affect  
          the authority of the transferor to revoke a TOD deed.

                                        COMMENT
           
          1.  Stated need for the bill  
          
          The author writes:
          
            California law offers individuals several mechanisms to  
            transfer real property to a chosen beneficiary at death.   
            Those mechanisms include, but are not limited to, a will,  
            trust, joint tenancy, and community property.  While some of  
            the available mechanisms must happen during the property  
            owner's lifetime, others happen upon death, and each vary in  
            the cost and ease of transfer, revocability options, ownership  
            rights, effect on Medi-Cal eligibility, and availability to  
            creditors.

            The most common form of real property transfer upon death, a  
            will, must pass through probate, a lengthy legal process that  
            involves proving in court that a deceased person's will is  
            valid, inventorying and appraising property, and paying debts  
            and taxes.  The process is often grueling, can take up to a  
            year, and often results in statutory probate fees in the  
            thousands of dollars.  Similarly, establishment of a revocable  
            trust can cost upwards of $2,000.  For seniors and individuals  
            whose estate consists primarily of the home, the money to  
            establish a trust is out of the question.

            Although other estate planning options are available to  







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            property owners, the [revocable transfer on death deed  
            (revocable TOD deed)] is the most simple and inexpensive  
            transfer mechanism on the market today.  Furthermore, it may  
            be the only tool available to unmarried homeowners who wish to  
            leave their property to a lifelong partner, family member,  
            friend or loved one upon death, but who do not want to  
            transfer present interest (such as joint tenancy) or cannot  
            afford to set up a trust.  Some families attempt to pass real  
            property to a family member by adding the recipient's name to  
            the title as a joint tenant with rights of survivorship.  The  
            property will pass to the recipient at the death of the joint  
            owner, but there are also significant consequences during the  
            owner's life, such as exposing the property to the joint  
            tenant's creditors, and gives the joint tenant the power to  
            approve or disapprove a sale.

          2.  Addressing concerns of elder and dependent adult financial  
            abuse 

          Existing law provides various protections against elder and  
          dependent adult financial abuse.  Prior attempts to enact the  
          revocable TOD deed raised various concerns about the ability for  
          bad actors to utilize this deed to take advantage of an elder or  
          dependent adult.  California's dramatically high home values  
          make its elders and dependent adults particularly attractive to  
          individuals looking to prey on this population.  According to  
          the California Association of Realtors, "Housing Market Update,  
          Monthly Sales and Price Statistics June 2015," the average real  
          property value in California ranges from $170,000 in Glen County  
          (Central Valley) to $1.375 million in San Francisco.

          Proponents state that the target population of the revocable TOD  
          deed is senior citizens who are looking for a simple and  
          inexpensive way to give away their one asset, their home.   
          Notably, the transfer on death instrument would be most  
          beneficial for small estates, particularly situations where  
          there is one owner and one beneficiary, or between committed  
          partners who are not married or do not have a civil union, or  
          those who do not need the tax benefits of a living trust.   
          (Attorneys Title Guarantee Fund, Transfer on Death Instrument:   
          Advantages and Disadvantages (Sept. 21, 2011)  
           [as of June 29, 2015].)  For  
          example, a widow might create a TOD deed to transfer her sole  
          asset, a house, to her only child as the beneficiary.  (Id.)   







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          This would ensure that the widow retains rights in her house  
          during her lifetime.  (Id.)  On her death, the house would  
          transfer to her child while avoiding the delay of probate.  A  
          TOD deed can avoid the complexity and expenses of a living trust  
          and the disadvantages.  (Id.)

          Ohio enacted revocable TOD deed statutes in 2000, which were  
          subsequently repealed in 2009 in favor of a transfer on death  
          affidavit, and has multiple examples of elder financial abuse  
          concerns arising from TOD deeds.  In Treadway v. Free  
          Pentecostal Pater Ave. Church of God, Inc. (2008)  
          2008-Ohio-1663, the grandchildren of the decedent challenged the  
          will and TOD deeds of their grandmother that made the preacher's  
          daughter of a local church the beneficiary of the grandmother's  
          assets and real property.  In Treadway, the preacher's daughter  
          took over care of the grandmother during her decline from  
          cancer, and the grandchildren alleged they were restricted from  
          visiting their grandmother during her declining health.  (Id.,  
          pp. 2-3.)  During this time, the caretaker was appointed by the  
          grandmother on two different trips to attorneys' offices as the  
          grandmother's attorney-in-fact, estate executor, and beneficiary  
          of several TOD deeds.  (Id, p. 2.)  The court held that the  
          grandchildren, who would have, in a prior version of the  
          grandmother's will, inherited from the grandmother's estate if  
          their father predeceased their grandmother, lacked standing to  
          contest the will because their future interest had not vested  
          (their father was still alive), and the trial court lacked  
          subject matter jurisdiction since any failed gift to the  
          caretaker would have reverted to the estate, which fell under  
          the jurisdiction of the probate court.  Otherwise, since the  
          grandchildren were not personal representatives (the caretaker  
          was the executor), they had no standing to challenge the TOD  
          deed transfers.  (Id., pp. 11-12.)

          In another Ohio case, Hamblin v. Daugherty (2007)  
          2007-Ohio-5893, the decedent's will provided for equal  
          distribution of the decedent's estate to his three daughters;  
          however, only one of the daughters received the decedent's  
          property, which was transferred automatically outside of probate  
          and included three parcels of the decedent's real property  
          transferred through a TOD deed prepared by an attorney employer  
          of the beneficiary daughter.  The two daughters who received no  
          property challenged the transfers, including a claim that the  
          TOD deed transferring the three parcels was executed by the  
          decedent on a day in which he was in the hospital having  







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          surgery.  (Id., p. 13.)  The contesting daughters, after several  
          appeals, were ultimately successful in proving undue influence,  
          and the property was ordered to be included in the decedent's  
          estate.  (Hamblin v. Daugherty (2008) 2008-Ohio-5306.)

          As demonstrated by the Ohio cases, this bill may have the  
          potential to encourage and enable adult and elder financial  
          abuse.  This bill would provide that the transferor is not  
          required to deliver a revocable TOD deed to the beneficiary, and  
          the beneficiary is not required to accept the deed from the  
          transferor, during the transferor's life.  (Proposed Sec. 5624  
          (b) and (c).)  Illinois, a state that has adopted a revocable  
          transfer on death instrument (not a deed), requires acceptance  
          by a beneficiary prior to transfer of the property, which is  
          missing from most other state statutes and the Uniform Real  
          Property Transfer on Death Act adopted by the National  
          Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.  This  
          safeguard was included to let the beneficiary decide whether he  
          or she wants to take title to the property, particularly if it  
          has environmental problems or building code violations.  (C.  
          Brown, The Transfer on Death Instrument Comes to Illinois (Dec.  
          2011) Illinois State Bar Association  [as of June 29,  
          2015].)
                                                                              
          Illinois primarily relied on the Uniform Real Property Transfer  
          on Death Act adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners  
          on Uniform State Laws, but made additional revisions to the  
          uniform act, including limiting its application to residential  
          real estate transfers.  According to the Illinois Bar  
          Association, "[t]he uniform act and other state statutes do not  
          limit the type of real estate that can be transferred, the  
          [Illinois State Bar Association] drafters believed the greatest  
          demand for this type of instrument was where the client's only  
          real estate is a principal or vacation residence. Although the  
          scope of the act may be expanded, the limitation to residential  
          real estate allows the title industry, recording officials, and  
          the practicing bar to become familiar with the act and its  
          application."  (C. Brown, The Transfer on Death Instrument Comes  
          to Illinois (Dec. 2011) Illinois State Bar Association  
           [as of June 29, 2015].)

          In order to incorporate additional protections discovered as  
          necessary in other states and to address elder and dependent  







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          adult financial abuse concerns, the author offers amendments in  
          Committee to:
           authorize a direct contest for disqualification of a  
            beneficiary under the presumption of fraud or undue influence  
            statutes so that an individual who was not appointed as the  
            executor or personal representative (such as in Treadway v.  
            Free Pentecostal Pater Ave. Church of God, Inc.) has standing  
            to challenge the validity of the transfer;
           limit the application of the bill to only residential real  
            property, units in residential cooperatives, or, condominium  
            units, or a single tract of agriculture real estate consisting  
            of 40 acres or less which is improved with a single family  
            residence, which more effectively provides for the transfer of  
            a person's home without the additional, and, arguably,  
            unnecessary ability to transfer commercial real estate; and
           allow the beneficiary of the deed to disclaim the transfer in  
            case the beneficiary does not want the property.

             Author's amendments  :

             1.   On page 20, strike lines 12 through 21 and insert:

          5610.  "Real property" means real property improved with not  
          less than one nor more than four residential dwelling units,  
          units in residential cooperatives; or, condominium units,  
          including the limited common elements allocated to the exclusive  
          use thereof that form an integral part of the condominium unit;  
          or a single tract of agriculture real estate consisting of 40  
          acres or less which is improved with a single family residence."

             2.   On page 29, in line 18, strike and replace "Except as  
               provided in paragraph (2)" with "Subject to the  
               beneficiary's right to disclaim the transfer"

             3.   On page 35, in line 3, strike the text after "(a)" and  
               lines 4 through 6, and insert: 

          (1) An action for the disqualification of a beneficiary under  
          Part 3.7 (commencing with Section 21360) of Division 11 may be  
          brought to contest the validity of a transfer of property by a  
          revocable transfer on death deed.
          (2) An action to contest the validity of a transfer of property  
          by a revocable transfer on death deed may be filed by the  
          transferor's personal representative or an interested person  
          under Part 19 (commencing with Section 850) of Division 2.







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          Additionally, the California Assessors' Association, Executive  
          Committee of the Trust and Estate Section of the State Bar or  
          California (TEXCOM), and the California Advocates for Nursing  
          Home Reform raised various concerns regarding notarization,  
          testamentary capacity, and instructions attached to the TOD deed  
          form.  Accordingly, this bill was previously amended as follows:  
            instead of the lower standard of "testamentary capacity"  
            requirement in prior TOD deed bills, the amendments instead  
            authorize an owner of real property who has the capacity to  
            contract to make a revocable TOD deed;
           requires the TOD deed to be notarized;
           clarifies the TOD deed form and common questions sections on  
            the form to require the legal description of the property, the  
            full name of the beneficiary and relationship of the  
            beneficiary to the transferor, and require the TOD deed to  
            contain the exact name of the transferor as it appears on the  
            title documents of the property;
           clarifies the TOD deed common questions section as to how to  
            revoke the TOD deed, what happens if the transferor creates a  
            new document that disposes of the property, as well as  
            liability for Medi-Cal reimbursement;
           strikes a provision that would have provided the bill would  
            not invalidate a deed otherwise effective to convey title to  
            the property that is not recorded until after the death of the  
            owner; 
           provides anti-lapse provisions, modeled after the Uniform Real  
            Property Transfer on Death Act, to clarify that if a  
            beneficiary is not living at the time the property transfers  
            to a beneficiary, the interest lapses; if there are multiple  
            beneficiaries that survive the transferor, they take the  
            property as tenants in common, in equal shares, and the share  
            of a beneficiary that fails or lapses is transferred to the  
            other beneficiaries in equal shares;
           clarifies that if the property is restored to the transferor's  
            estate, as specified, the property is treated as a specific  
            gift and any proceeds remaining from the sale of the property  
            after the payment of creditor's claims are returned to the  
            beneficiary; and
           revises the contest statutes of limitations and contests of  
            the conservator or guardian of a transferor prior to the  
            transferor's death.

          These amendments significantly narrow the bill, provide greater  
          protection from bad actors, and clarify the use of the TOD deed  







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          form so that individuals are better informed about the  
          requirements and effects of the deed.

          3.  Public and private creditors:  beneficiary is personally  
            liable for transferor's debts 

           Under this bill, a creditor of the transferor who has an  
          encumbrance or lien of record against the property transferred  
          by a revocable TOD deed has priority over a creditor of the  
          beneficiary, regardless of whether the beneficiary incurred the  
          obligation before or after the transferor's death and regardless  
          of whether the obligation is secured or unsecured, voluntary or  
          involuntary, recorded or unrecorded.  (Proposed Sec. 5670.)

          A beneficiary is personally liable to a creditor for the  
          unsecured debts of the transferor, to the extent provided under  
          the bill.  (Proposed Sec. 5672.)  Because the goal of the  
          revocable TOD deed is to transfer property directly and, thus,  
          avoid probate, the only mechanism for collecting on outstanding  
          liabilities of the estate of the transferor would be a civil  
          action against the revocable TOD deed beneficiary to restore or  
          return the property so it may be liquidated and distributed to  
          creditors. 

          Additionally, decedents may have received Medi-Cal services for  
          several years prior to death.  Typically, the Department of  
          Health Care Services (DHCS) collects the costs of medical  
          services from the decedent's estate, which in many instances  
          consists only of the decedent's home.  This bill would allow the  
          decedent's home to pass to a beneficiary, subject to a Medi-Cal  
          reimbursement claim, which may result in costly litigation by  
          DHCS to collect from an uncooperative TOD deed beneficiary.   
          Although the beneficiary of a TOD is still responsible for any  
          debts associated with the estate, there is no mechanism, outside  
          of civil action, for collecting outstanding debt.  For  
          individuals with no will and no person available to act as  
          estate administrator, the public administrator would be  
          appointed, and neither public administrator offices, nor  
          counties, can afford to pay for a civil proceeding to collect  
          debt that would have otherwise been awarded in the probate  
          process.

          However, this bill is similar to the other non-probate process  
          for transferring title of a small estate ($150,000 or less),  
          which also makes the petitioning party liable for creditor  







          AB 139 (Gatto)
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          claims.  Alternatively, if the property is transferred through a  
          trust, creditors are severely limited in their ability to  
          collect on debts until the trustee initiates a creditors claims  
          process, which the trustee may, but is not required, to perform.  
           (Prob. Code Sec. 19000, et seq.)

          4.  Recordation requirement

           This bill requires the revocable TOD deed to be recorded within  
          60 days of its execution and notarization.  Although Ohio has no  
          recordation deadline, it's courts have determined that public  
          policy supports the requirement that a TOD deed be recorded  
          before the death of the grantor because the designation of a TOD  
          beneficiary can be revoked or changed at any time, without the  
          consent of the beneficiary, by the owner's executing and  
          recording a deed to one or more persons, including the owner,  
          with or without the designation of another TOD beneficiary, so  
          the requirement that the deed be recorded before the grantor's  
          death helps alleviate concerns about fraud and undue influence,  
          and the formality of the recording process helps ensure that the  
          owner intended to make the transfer.  (Mattia v. Hall (2008)  
          2008 Ohio 180.)

          5.  Sunset and report requirement

           This bill contains a sunset date of January 1, 2021, and as of  
          that date would be repealed unless another bill extended or  
          removed the sunset.  Importantly, this bill also requires the  
          CLRC, by January 1, 2020, to study the utility and potential  
          problems with the revocable TOD deed after it has been enacted,  
          and report its findings to the Legislature for its consideration  
          in extending or removing the sunset.  These provisions will help  
          the Legislature determine whether the concerns regarding elder  
          and dependent adult financial abuse have been realized or  
          whether the TOD deed is working as intended.


           Support  :  AARP California; California Communities United  
          Institute; California Senior Legislature; Conference of  
          California Bar Associations; Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

           Opposition  :  California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform

                                        HISTORY
           







          AB 139 (Gatto)
          Page 15 of ? 

           Source  :  Author

           Related Pending Legislation  :  None Known

           Prior Legislation  :

          AB 699 (Wagner, 2011) See Background; Comment 2.

          AB 724 (DeVore, 2010) See Background; Comment 2.

          AB 250 (DeVore, 2007) See Background; Comment 2.

          AB 12 (DeVore, Chapter 422, Statutes of 2005) See Background;  
          Comment 2.

           Prior Vote  :

          Assembly Floor (Ayes 78, Noes 0)
          Assembly Appropriations Committee (Ayes 16, Noes 0)
          Assembly Judiciary Committee (Ayes 10, Noes 0)

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