selling joint owned house

harrys66

hi, i own a house jointly with my brother, resident in USA last 15 years

looking to sell the house, he is due back in UK over christmas

is there anything he can sign now to make things easier for when we sell the house a few months from now

thanks

harry

G_M

Yes.

A POA giving you authority to sell on his behalf.

Alternatively, if you have a buyer already, you or your solicitor could draw up the contract and get the TR1 and he could sign those.

steampowered

Perhaps get a copy of his passport and proof of address (such as a utility bill)? Ideally the copy of his passport would be certified by someone like a solicitor. You may find you need to give this to your solicitor/conveyancer this sort of thing for their money laundering checks.

PasturesNew

Solicitor would probably prefer for your brother to be sitting in front of them with their ID at the start of the process as they have a responsibility of swearing that the person they have performed the transaction for IS the correct and legal person/owner.

Bums on seats, in offices, with all the ID, is what most would insist on.

exiled_red

As PasturesNew says I would go into the solicitors office with your brother and all the documents required ID etc, explain the situation and get everything that you need done with the solicitor while your brother is here.

It might even be worth you speaking to the solicitor ahead of your brother flying out to ensure that your brother can bring all the documentation that might be required with him when he comes over here.

harrys66

thanks all,

from your advice I think I will contact a local conveyncer (who I wll use during the sale) and pop in with my brother

Harry

Richard_Webster

Your brother can give a power of attorney to someone else - not OP - to sign on his behalf. A jointly owned property has to be transferred by at least two people, not by one person wearing two hats ( as owner and as attorney).