Moving house into LLC?

[forchinet121]

We all work with potentially dangerous patients, one of my colleagues just had a patient write him a death threat letter and put it into his mailbox..given this I am considering ways to prevent people/patients from finding out where I live (I have a house). If I transfer my home into an LLC would that make me anonymous and prevent anyone from finding out where I live? Anyone do something similar or have any strategies/suggestions?

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[Sushirolls]

Go to your state Secretary of State website. SOS
You can look up LLC already registered in state and if your idea for your house is available.
You will also see how the state structures who is listed as "registered agent" or "owner" or "CEO" or whatever.
You might need to be listed, or you might have to list a Lawyer

But that doesn't stop the depths of the internet from still associating Forchinet121 with Tukta Way Lane
Unlikely to have your name scrubbed from that address with simple Google Searches.
Perhaps if you moved to a new location, did the LLC thing from the start and got a PO box for mail? But then you have to go to the Post office for mail...

Some states allow people to be hidden from registries and not publicly listed, but I'm not familiar with that process in any state.

 

[FlowRate]

Make sure all of your professional profiles are updated to use addresses other than your home address as well. But your current address is likely permanently available on the internets so transferring your current home into an LLC or fixing your profiles isn't really going to help at this point.

 

[wysdoc]

Also having your house owned by an LLC won't protect it as your dwelling against malpractice settlements

 

[whopper]

Some states and it depends on the state will publish lots of public data. E.g. if you buy property with a house on it to live, that information will become public in several states. Utilities-same thing.

I remember when I showed this to my PD in forensic psychiatry he didn't know about it nor was happy to see all of his information available to the public. I can say, however, that since those days, less information is as easy to obtain, but still obtainable. E.g. you'd google someone and several websites showed several items of free info like their address, house plans, etc. Now you got to pay money and the process is tedious for a lot of these websites.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Yeah it's pretty easy in my state to just look up property transfer records if you know a person's name and the county they live in....so basically would just have to search a few counties to find out where I bought my house.

Unless you actually bought the house under some other name originally, they'll also be able to see that you transferred the property to the company since you'd have to retitle it in the company name. You'd also have to get your mortgage company on board with this idea....

 

[comp1]

Even if legal, I can't imagine this would slow a dedicated patient down much at all...

 

[WisNeuro]

Even if legal, I can't imagine this would slow a dedicated patient down much at all...

Yeah, the ones that are willing to commit a premeditated felony usually aren't going to stop because of about 10 minutes of internet research.

 

[claypigeon]

We all work with potentially dangerous patients, one of my colleagues just had a patient write him a death threat letter and put it into his mailbox..given this I am considering ways to prevent people/patients from finding out where I live (I have a house). If I transfer my home into an LLC would that make me anonymous and prevent anyone from finding out where I live? Anyone do something similar or have any strategies/suggestions?

One big issue is LLC or not, someone is paying property taxes and someone bought the house initially. That’s easy to find.

We set up a land trust at the time of purchasing our house so our name is hidden from the public. The property tax bills get sent to our lawyer so our name doesn’t come up. If you have a mortgage many banks won’t let you transfer this to an LLC or non land trust trust. Some banks let these be included in other revocable trusts.

 

[psychemdoc]

One big issue is LLC or not, someone is paying property taxes and someone bought the house initially. That’s easy to find.

We set up a land trust at the time of purchasing our house so our name is hidden from the public. The property tax bills get sent to our lawyer so our name doesn’t come up. If you have a mortgage many banks won’t let you transfer this to an LLC or non land trust trust. Some banks let these be included in other revocable trusts.

Yeah I had one professor in undergrad that had his house in an LLC. Not sure why he did that but he did. Now the medical liability thing is interesting, but otherwise I feel like you can hide most things through a lawyer or accountant. Definitely seek legal advice but yes your current address is moot. Now I know you’re house hunting now so I would figure this out before putting down an offer somewhere just to make sure you’re following this right from the beginning. Good luck!

 

[splik]

We all work with potentially dangerous patients, one of my colleagues just had a patient write him a death threat letter and put it into his mailbox..given this I am considering ways to prevent people/patients from finding out where I live (I have a house). If I transfer my home into an LLC would that make me anonymous and prevent anyone from finding out where I live? Anyone do something similar or have any strategies/suggestions?

It's probably too late unless you want to move. If you are registered to vote your address is public information. If your address is on your driver's license... If you receive mail at your home... If you have a credit card... If you have your home address for your cell phone....all of these things will make your address very searchable. And of course if you buy a house under your name. Putting into into a confidential trust (rather than LLC) can help. Some people put their home under their spouse's name (but that can create other problems).

 

[PsyDr]

You use an irrevocable trust, not an LLC.

 

[Merovinge]

It's probably too late unless you want to move. If you are registered to vote your address is public information. If your address is on your driver's license... If you receive mail at your home... If you have a credit card... If you have your home address for your cell phone....all of these things will make your address very searchable. And of course if you buy a house under your name. Putting into into a confidential trust (rather than LLC) can help. Some people put their home under their spouse's name (but that can create other problems).

Unfortunately, one of the best asset protection tips available are the states that allow tenants by the entirety to protect your primary dwelling from any over policy limit malpractice suits. Really hard to imagine a miniscule amount of extra confidentially outweighs knowing that your 6 to 7 figures is safe from an apocolyptic lawsuit.

 

[calvnandhobbs68]

Unfortunately, one of the best asset protection tips available are the states that allow tenants by the entirety to protect your primary dwelling from any over policy limit malpractice suits. Really hard to imagine a miniscule amount of extra confidentially outweighs knowing that your 6 to 7 figures is safe from an apocolyptic lawsuit.

Yeah but I think what he's saying is that the deed would be completely in the spouses name (so the house would still be safe from a malpractice suit)....this really only works though if you're like 100 percent confident in your relationship with your spouse cause if you get divorced you're basically hosed cause your name is on the mortgage but not the deed. I have heard of that for asset protection in states that don't have tenants by the entirety that the mortgage in in the physicians name but then the deed is in the spouses name for privacy and asset protect. Or the land trust initially buying the property as above.

You already know this I'm sure but for everyone else, the great thing about tenants by the entirety is that you don't have to do this to have complete asset protect (my house is tenants by the entirety)...both spouses "completely" own the house, so even if I go bankrupt or have some huge debt, they can't force me to sell my house because my spouse completely owns it as well. I'm still searchable privacy wise though.

 

[Merovinge]

Yeah but I think what he's saying is that the deed would be completely in the spouses name (so the house would still be safe from a malpractice suit)....this really only works though if you're like 100 percent confident in your relationship with your spouse cause if you get divorced you're basically hosed cause your name is on the mortgage but not the deed. I have heard of that for asset protection in states that don't have tenants by the entirety that the mortgage in in the physicians name but then the deed is in the spouses name for privacy and asset protect. Or the land trust initially buying the property as above.

You already know this I'm sure but for everyone else, the great thing about tenants by the entirety is that you don't have to do this to have complete asset protect (my house is tenants by the entirety)...both spouses "completely" own the house, so even if I go bankrupt or have some huge debt, they can't force me to sell my house because my spouse completely owns it as well. I'm still searchable privacy wise though.

Sorry I'm an idiot and forgot not everyone is married to physician spouses, total brain fart.

 

[whopper]

This is one of those reasons why it's not a bad idea to lawyer up. The more money you got the more of a target you can be. Also nice to have someone you can contact that knows you if you're in an emergency.

If you don't know a lawyer, start putting out the sensors among your social circles. Chances are there's a lawyer in that circle and will likely want to have you as an ally cause it's always good to know a good doctor, Form an alliance.

I have a buddy who's a lawyer and about once every 6 months I bounce a legal situation off of him. He was the same guy I went to when I was considering getting a restraining order against a family member of a patient who disruptively called my office in an excessive manner.