you'd need to get a Loan against the house
Can you protect your assets from bankruptcy by placing them in an irrevocable trust?
It is unlikely that an irrevocable trust gives the property any immunity from liens.AnswerYes. If the property is owned by an irrevocable trust the HOA can place a lien against the property and the trust. The HOA should research the trust so that the present trustees can be mentioned on the lien. Although debts are sometimes difficult to collect from a trust, the property cannot be sold or mortgaged unless the lien is paid.
Warning! An irrevocable trust is not created when the grantor (trustor) is also the trustee. By transferring their property to a trust of which they are the trustee the grantor has retained control over the property. Irrevocable trusts are usually set up for tax purposes. The grantor cannot retain any control over the property in order for the trust to qualify as an irrevocable trust. The trust you describe has failed and left the trust property exposed to creditors and taxes. You need to consult with an attorney who specializes in trust law and tax law.
No
The Trust does and it becomes a deduction on the Trust's tax return.
Absolutely not. The person who transferred the property to an irrevocable trust no longer owns the property. Their deed would be null and void. The trust can sell the property as long as that power was granted to the trustee in the Declaration of Trust. For an effective transfer of the property the deed of transfer must be executed by the trustee.
You cannot have the same person as grantor, trustee and beneficiary in any trust. There is no trust created in such a set up. The grantor in an irrevocable trust cannot be the trustee. The property in an irrevocable trust must be permanently separated from the grantor's control.
The property is no longer vulnerable to your creditors, your heirs or your personal income taxes. After a waiting period, it cannot be used to disqualify you from entitlements. You can choose how the income will be distributed and how the property will eventually be distributed when the trust is terminated. However, you cannot get the property back. An irrevocable trust should be drafted by an expert in trust law.
You CAN get the assets back in a revocable trust. You CANNOT get the assets back in an irrevocable trust. An irrevocable trust cannot be terminated by the settler once it has been created. The settler transfers their assets into the trust and no longer has any rights of ownership in that property or the trust. The main reasons for setting up an irrevocable trust are estate planning and tax purposes. Generally, assets in an irrevocable trust are shielded from creditors.
An irrevocable trust and an estate are two separate and distinct legal arrangements. If a person transfers their property to an irrevocable trust it is no longer part of their estate. You need to consult with an attorney who can review your situation, hear the details and explain your options.
In some cases, a trustee can seek court approval to dissolve an irrevocable trust if certain conditions are met. These conditions may include all beneficiaries agreeing to the dissolution, changes in circumstances necessitating the trust's termination, or if the trust's purposes have become impossible to achieve. It's important for the trustee to consult with legal counsel to understand the specific requirements and considerations involved in dissolving an irrevocable trust.
Generally, an irrevocable trust is titled 'irrevocable' or is designated as such somewhere in the first few paragraphs.