離婚から10年。名義変更を留保した土地建物と住宅ローン 10 Years After Divorce: Deferring Property Title Transfer and Mortgage Obligations
概要
相談者は離婚から10年、元夫名義の住宅ローンと固定資産税を支払いながら、お子様と自宅に住み続けていた女性です。
- １０年前の状況： 公正証書で、財産分与による妻への所有権移転は合意したが、銀行が債務者移転を認めなかったため、所有権移転登記、及び債務者変更登記を留保。
- 相談時の問題： 経済的な理由からローンと固定資産税の支払いが難しくなり、債権者から督促状が届く事態に。
- 混乱の種： 最初に相談した不動産会社が、現在の所有関係を正しく把握できず、元夫から売却依頼を受けてしまうなど、手続きが迷走した。
解決までのプロセス
弁護士からの相談を受け、当社は専門家と連携し、下記のステップで売却を完了させました。
- 権利関係の確定： 司法書士の確認により、当時の公正証書で現在の所有権移転登記が可能であることを確認。
- 関係各所との調整： 元夫側の弁護士を通じて協力を依頼し、元夫と面談。債権者には差押を待ってもらうよう連絡。
- 出口戦略： 当社が相談者から売却依頼を受け、スピード重視で不動産買取業者への売却を成立。
- 新生活のサポート： 相談者の引っ越し先については、入居審査が難しい状況を考慮し、１年分の家賃を前払いすれば誰でも住めるUR賃貸住宅をご提案。前払い家賃は売却代金から支払う組み立てとした
今回のポイント
- 登記・債務移転の留保はハイリスク： 10年の間には、元夫の破産や再婚、相続などが発生するリスクがあります。長期間登記を留保することは得策とは言えません。
- 財産分与と税金： 財産分与による譲渡益には所得税がかかる場合があり、譲渡税の申告が必要です。ご存じない方も多く、要注意だと感じました。
- 公証人の役割： 公証人は書類を作成してくれますが、どういう内容で合意すべきか、などのアドバイスは専門の不動産業者や士業へ相談が必要です。今回は公正証書作成段階で適切なアドバイスが無かったことも問題発生の要因となりました。
（２０２１年事例）
Overview
The client is a woman who had lived in the family home with her children for ten years following her divorce. During this period, she continued to pay the mortgage and fixed asset taxes, even though both remained in her former husband's name.
- The Situation 10 Years Ago: A notarized deed (Kosei Shosho) had been drawn up, agreeing to transfer ownership to the wife as part of the property settlement. However, because the bank did not approve the transfer of the mortgage debt, both the registration of ownership transfer and the change of debtor were deferred.
- The Problem at the Time of Consultation: Due to economic hardship, the client found it difficult to keep up with mortgage and tax payments, leading to a notice of demand from the creditors.
- Source of Confusion: The initial real estate company consulted failed to correctly grasp the current ownership rights. This led to a disorganized process where they mistakenly accepted a listing request from the ex-husband instead of the client.
The Path to Resolution
Upon receiving a referral from a lawyer, our firm collaborated with specialists to complete the sale through the following steps:
- Establishing Legal Rights: We confirmed with a judicial scrivener (Shiho Shoshi) that the original notarized deed from ten years ago was still valid for registering the transfer of ownership today.
- Coordination with Stakeholders: We requested cooperation from the ex-husband through his attorney and held an in-person meeting with him. Simultaneously, we contacted the creditors to request a stay on any foreclosure/seizure proceedings.
- Exit Strategy: Our firm officially accepted the listing from the client and prioritized speed, successfully brokering a sale to a real estate buyback specialist (a real estate company).
- Support for a New Life: Considering the client's difficulty in passing standard tenant screenings, we proposed UR Rental Housing, where residency is guaranteed by paying one year’s rent in advance. We structured the finances so the advance rent was paid directly from the sale proceeds.
Key Points of This Case
- The High Risk of Deferring Registration and Debt Transfer: Leaving a title transfer pending for ten years is extremely risky. During such a long period, unforeseen events like the ex-husband’s bankruptcy, remarriage, or death (inheritance issues) could occur. Long-term deferment is never advisable.
- Property Settlement and Taxes: It is important to note that capital gains arising from a property settlement may be subject to income tax, requiring a tax return filing. I felt this was a critical point, as many people are unaware of this potential tax liability.
- The Role of the Notary: While a Public Notary (Koshonin) prepares the necessary documents, they do not necessarily provide strategic advice on the substance of the agreement. Consultation with specialized real estate professionals or legal experts is essential. In this case, the lack of appropriate advice during the drafting of the notarized deed was a primary factor in the subsequent complications.
(Case from 2021)
