Tenancy by the Entirety – a form of ownership with special protections

In the recent case of  Jimenez v. Jimenez, N.J. Super. App. Div.(MAY 8, 2018) (approved for publication), the NJ Superior Court, Appellate Division rebuffed the efforts of a creditor to force the sale of a home owned by the debtor and his spouse as tenants by the entireties. Relying upon a New Jersey statute, the Court held that the legislature has prohibited spouses from severing their tenancy without the written consent of the other spouse, and therefore, the creditor of one spouse may not force such a severance in order to satisfy the debt. The statute is NJ Rev Stat § 46:3-17.4 (2013), which says: “Neither spouse may sever, alienate, or otherwise affect their interest in the tenancy by entirety during the marriage or upon separation without the written consent of both spouses. ” Before that statute was adopted in 2013, the Courts had discretion as an equitable matter to order a partition under certain circumstances. Newman v. Chase,…

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