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"LAWCHEK� Real Estate"

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  Necessity of Written Instrument

An agreement, contract, conveyance, sale, or other transfer of real estate, or an interest in it, usually must be set forth in writing and signed.  The writing requirement is found in a body of law, sometimes referred to as the �statute of frauds.�  This law makes oral or verbal transfers of real estate unenforceable.  The written document setting forth the terms of the sale or transfer is referred to as �an instrument.�  Simply put, an instrument is a written document.  To be enforceable, a sale or transfer of real estate, including an encumbrance such as a mortgage, must be evidenced by a properly executed instrument.  Some examples of instruments affecting real estate include: contracts, deeds, leases, mortgages or deeds of trust. 

A possible exception to the writing requirement occurs where one or more of the parties to the agreement have partly performed their obligations under the contract and strict enforcement of the writing requirement would be inequitable or unfair.  Another exception occurs where one or both sides to an oral agreement admit the terms of the contract and agree to put it in writing or agree that it will be enforced.  Please see specific state for details and/or differences.

Black�s Law Dictionary, Fifth Edition.

ALABAMA | ALASKA | ARIZONA | ARKANSAS | CALIFORNIA | COLORADO | CONNECTICUT | DELAWARE | FLORIDA 
 GEORGIA | HAWAII | IDAHO | ILLINOIS | INDIANA | IOWA | KANSAS | KENTUCKY | LOUISIANA | MAINE | MARYLAND 
 MASSACHUSETTS | MICHIGAN | MINNESOTA | MISSISSIPPI | MISSOURI | MONTANA | NEBRASKA | NEVADA 
 NEW HAMPSHIRE | NEW JERSEY | NEW MEXICO | NEW YORK | NORTH CAROLINA | NORTH DAKOTA | OHIO 
 OKLAHOMA | OREGON | PENNSYLVANIA | RHODE ISLAND | SOUTH CAROLINA | SOUTH DAKOTA | TENNESSEE 
 TEXAS | UTAH | VERMONT | VIRGINIA | WASHINGTON | WEST VIRGINIA | WISCONSIN | WYOMING

ALABAMA
Alabama Code 8-9-2.

ALASKA
Alaska Code 09.25.020.

ARIZONA
Arizona Code 44-101.

ARKANSAS
Arkansas Code 4-59-101-03.

CALIFORNIA
California CC 1091.

COLORADO
Colorado Code 38-10-108, 110.

CONNECTICUT
Connecticut Code 52-550.

DELAWARE
Delaware Code 6-2714(b).

FLORIDA
Florida Code 725.01 onward.

GEORGIA
Georgia Code 44-7-2;  13-5-31.

HAWAII
Hawaii Code 656-1.

IDAHO
Idaho Code 9-503, 504.

ILLINOIS
Illinois Code 740-80/1, 2.

INDIANA
Indiana Code 32-2-2-1.

IOWA
Iowa Code 622.32-35.

KANSAS
Kansas Code 33-105, 106.

KENTUCKY
Kentucky Code 371.010.

LOUISIANA
Louisiana CC 2275.

MAINE
Maine T.33, 51-53.

MARYLAND
Maryland Real Prop. Art. 5-104.

MASSACHUSETTS
Massachusetts C. 259, 1.

MICHIGAN
Michigan CLA 566.106, 110, 132.

MINNESOTA
Minnesota Code 513.04, .06.

MISSISSIPPI
Mississippi Code 15-3-1.

MISSOURI
Missouri Code 432.010.

MONTANA
Montana Code 28-2-903.

NEBRASKA
Nebraska Code 36-103.

NEVADA
Nevada Code 111.205 through .210, 111.015.

NEW HAMPSHIRE
New Hampshire C. 506, 1-2.

NEW JERSEY
New Jersey Code 25-1-2.

NEW MEXICO
New Mexico Common Law.

NEW YORK
New York G.O.L. 5-703.

NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina Code 22-2.

NORTH DAKOTA
North Dakota Code 9-06-04; 47-10-01.

OHIO
Ohio Code 1335.05.

OKLAHOMA
Oklahoma Code 15-136.

OREGON
Oregon Code 41.580; 93.020.

PENNSYLVANIA
Pennsylvania Code 33-1.

RHODE ISLAND
Rhode Island Code �9-1-4.

SOUTH CAROLINA
South Carolina Code �27-23-60.

SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota Code �53-8-2.

TENNESSEE
Tennessee Code �29-2-101.

TEXAS
Texas Bus. & Comm. Code 26.01.

UTAH
Utah Code 25-5-1.

VERMONT
Vermont Code 12-181.

VIRGINIA
Virginia Code 11-2.

WASHINGTON
Washington Code 64.04.010-.020.

WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia Code 36-1-3; 55-1-1.

WISCONSIN
Wisconsin Code 706.01-.02, .04.

WYOMING
Wyoming Code 1-23-105.

This is not a substitute for legal advice.  An attorney must be consulted.
Copyright � 2003 by LAWCHEK, LTD.

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