Arthur Nelson Protected His Wyoming Mountain Cabin with a Trust
“Joint tenancy would give him immediate survivorship rights and the ability to borrow against the equity,” Rebecca said. “It is exactly what a creditor would look for.”
“I see,” I said.
She opened the middle folder, revealing a three-page document with blue signature flags attached to the margins. “If we do this, we need to do it quickly. The paperwork takes time to process through the county recorder’s office, and I expect your son-in-law will not wait long before he checks the public registry himself.”
“How long do we have?” I asked.
“A standard filing takes about three weeks,” Rebecca said. “We can expedite it for an additional fee, which would cut the time down to forty-eight hours.”
“Let us do that,” I said.
“It is not cheap, Arthur,” she said. “The total cost for the document preparation, the trust design, and the expedited filing fees will be five thousand dollars.”
I looked down at my hands, the calluses from forty years of carpentry still thick on my palms. “That is almost my entire emergency fund.”
