LAND TRUSTS
This is a general explanation of land trusts. For more detailed information, visit the Land Trusts page.
Land trusts can hold residential, commercial, personal, or investment property.
What are the advantages of holding title in a land trust through ATG Trust?
- Ownership: Beneficiary retains control of the property while maintaining privacy of ownership.
- Probate Avoidance: A land trust is a low-cost alternative to a living trust.
- Judgment to Lien Protection: Liens against the beneficiary do not attach to real estate held in a land trust.
- Convenience: Land trusts make it easier to transfer interests or to use the property as collateral.
How does it work?
The current owners deed the property into the land trust, naming a trustee such as ATG Trust Company, and perhaps a beneficiary or succession of beneficiaries, much like they would for an insurance policy or retirement account.
The trust agreement, a long standing form that is generally the same throughout Illinois, will name a holder of the “beneficial interest,” usually the owners deeding the property but not limited to that. The trust is there to protect the beneficiary from most public records searches other than those allowed by law to governmental agencies.
The owners will also name someone, perhaps themselves or others, as the holder of a “power of direction” allowing them to act on behalf of the trust for financing or other purposes.
The holder of the power of direction can be changed by the beneficiaries, and the beneficiary can also be changed. The land trust is a way of dealing with real estate as a financial asset, creating a flexible process to pass ownership to future generations, or implementing other planning ideas.
If you would like more information, contact us today.