TOD Bill

My wife and I testified in Annapolis today, before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee. We supported a bill called the TOD bill.

In brief, the TOD bill would allow Marylanders to sign a fairly simple form saying who they want to inherit their house after their death. There already are laws allowing them to do this for bank accounts and brokerage funds.

Why is this needed? Because many people don't like lawyers and their fees and won't get Wills or other legal documents to bequeath their houses. Many of these people have few means and would like to have this simple alternative.

Opponents (especially lawyers) say everyone should get a lawyer to say who you want to have your house after you die. They also say the TOD form might be misused and lead to problems.

But more than 20 other states have adopted TOD's to allow their citizens to transfer their houses on their deaths, and no problems have been reported. None of the states that adopted TOD have repealed it. So the arguments of opponents of the TOD bill are not backed by any evidence.

Tomorrow there's be another hearing on the TOD bill, this time in the Maryland House of Delegates Health and Government Operations Committee. Supporters of the TOD bill will again present the evidence for the usefulness of this bill and we hope to convince the legislature to adopt it.