OWNERSHIP LISTING – Why does it say “1/2 INT” (or “1/2 INT EA”) after my name on the ownership records?
Due to the antiquated system we inherited, our property ownership listings often look like this for co-owners of homesteaded properties. Here is a typical listing: SMITH,JOHN 1/2 INT JONES,MARY The “1/2 INT” following John’s name is our internal flag that John is the resident who qualified for the homestead exemption. You may also see a different fractional sign used if there are more than two owners, but the meaning is the same as to who holds the homestead exemption on the property. In this example above, Mary does not have homestead and would not be protected if something happened to John before she obtains homestead. However, if you see “1/2 INT EA” after the first co-owners name, it is our internal flag that ALL of the non-married co-owners have qualified for homestead on the property. When we upgrade to a modern computer system for these records by 2010, we’ll improve the listing display to be more clear as to which persons on a property hold the homestead exemption.
