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Husband and wife Carlos and Maria own their home in Birmingham, Alabama. Carlos incurs a $40,000 personal debt, and the creditor seeks to force a sale of the marital home to satisfy the judgment. The home has $25,000 in equity. Under Alabama's homestead exemption, what is the outcome?

Correct Answer

A) The creditor cannot force a sale because the $25,000 equity is fully protected by the $30,000 married-couple homestead exemption.

Under Code of Alabama §6-10-2, a married couple's homestead exemption is $30,000. The home's total equity is only $25,000, which is less than the $30,000 exemption. Therefore, the entire $25,000 equity is protected, and the creditor cannot force a sale of the marital home to satisfy Carlos's personal debt. The exemption applies to the homestead as a whole, not just to Carlos's half.

Answer Options
A
The creditor cannot force a sale because the $25,000 equity is fully protected by the $30,000 married-couple homestead exemption.
B
The creditor can force a sale and recover $10,000 after applying the $15,000 individual exemption to Carlos's share.
C
The creditor can force a sale because $25,000 exceeds the $15,000 individual exemption.
D
The creditor can force a sale because Alabama does not provide a homestead exemption for debts incurred by only one spouse.

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Related Topics & Key Terms

Key Terms:

homestead_exemptioncreditor_protectionmarried_coupleequity_calculation

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The bundle of rights describes the rights associated with property ownership, allowing owners to use, control, enjoy, exclude others from, and dispose of the property.

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