Your father is on Medicaid. He can keep one car. This car is then the one he keeps. As you are joint owner of this car, this car is yours upon his death. Check with Elder Law attorney, but if you are on title, then the car passes to you as sole owner when your father dies.
Only caution is that there will be no money to pay car payment, insurance, gas or maintenance if Dad is on Medicaid. You will have to pay all expenses to keep the vehicle.
Do you have the title? If so go to the motor vehicle department in your state and transfer it over to your name. Do the same with the registration. If there's still payments owed, pay it off all at once and then you'll get the title which you can transfer only to yourself since your name is on it already. Then say nothing. Do this before your father goes into the AL.
If you have the title, you own the car. Just do it and don't complicate matters by telling the AL.
How does you father want to "split" the ownership? If he is able to keep the car as an asset (don't know if Medicaid would have rules/regulations) The options are You buy him out of his half of the car ownership or He buys you out. I would think you both have equal "rights" to the vehicle if you have both contributed equally to the purchase and upkeep including insurance and other fees. It will be difficult for him to have access to it if you are in possession of it, and difficult for you if he is in possession. What does your father want to do?
Go to your DMV website and see what is required to change a title. Whose name is on the insurance? Whose name is on the registration? I think this must be state specific as what has been suggested wouldn’t work in some states. Fraud comes to mind. All I would have to do is steal someone’s title and change it to my name? I don’t think so.
It isn’t clear if this person is on Medicaid. Could cause a different set of problems with Medicaid. The DMV can’t help with that. One car is exempt on Medicaid.
Father is still living. His signature may be needed if any or all of this is in his name.
Yes, pretty much all someone would have to do is steal the title to the car. That's why people keep the titles to their cars locked up with their other valuables.
If Dad is joint owner, he could still be liable for any tickets or accidents that may happen while in your possession. Best to have him sign off, IMHO. My mom & brother were joint registered owners on her car. When she came to live with me, he kept the car. I had her sign off (per DMV) and transfer the sole ownership to him to protect her from possible tickets or accidents he may incur. You sound like a responsible daughter, best wishes.
As you are joint owner of this car, this car is yours upon his death.
Check with Elder Law attorney, but if you are on title, then the car passes to you as sole owner when your father dies.
Then say nothing. Do this before your father goes into the AL.
If you have the title, you own the car. Just do it and don't complicate matters by telling the AL.
I hope that she will be able to pay it off. It says in her profile that her dad is 91 years old, so I seriously doubt that he was driving the car.
Everyone needs a vehicle these days! It’s so expensive to replace a car.
What does your father say?
If he is able to keep the car as an asset (don't know if Medicaid would have rules/regulations)
The options are You buy him out of his half of the car ownership or He buys you out.
I would think you both have equal "rights" to the vehicle if you have both contributed equally to the purchase and upkeep including insurance and other fees.
It will be difficult for him to have access to it if you are in possession of it, and difficult for you if he is in possession.
What does your father want to do?
Whose name is on the insurance? Whose name is on the registration?
I think this must be state specific as what has been suggested wouldn’t work in some states. Fraud comes to mind. All I would have to do is steal someone’s title and change it to my name? I don’t think so.
It isn’t clear if this person is on Medicaid. Could cause a different set of problems with Medicaid. The DMV can’t help with that. One car is exempt on Medicaid.
Father is still living. His signature may be needed if any or all of this is in his name.
Yes, pretty much all someone would have to do is steal the title to the car. That's why people keep the titles to their cars locked up with their other valuables.
My mom & brother were joint registered owners on her car. When she came to live with me, he kept the car. I had her sign off (per DMV) and transfer the sole ownership to him to protect her from possible tickets or accidents he may incur.
You sound like a responsible daughter, best wishes.
See All Answers