I bought my mother's duplex plus studio apt from her in 1997. However, the land court doc. says that "for no consideration as this is a transfer and not a sale, grant to (my husband and me) ... to hold as Tenants ByThe Entirety(?), with WARRANTY COVENANTS (?),the land...Reserving to (my mother) the use and occupancy of said premises, for and during her lifetime. My mom lives in one apartment and we occupy the other and the studio. Are we the grantors even though the doc says that we didn't purchase the property?
For the past 10 years, my husband and I have been paying for all maintenance, repair, upgrades, water/sewer, snow & garbage removal, flood insurance, homeowner's insurance,property taxes, lawn care, and even some work on her apt (we only asked that she take care of her own utilities and her any work on her own apt. My siblings have not been happy with this thinking that we should take care of her apt too.
I recently learned that my mother was responsible (need confirmation) for maintaining the property during this time. I did not mind that we paid all the bills until my mother moved her boyfriend in (who belongs in assisted living or a nursing home and has turned her-albeit with her permission-into an 85 year old full-time nurse for $100 a wk). She also allowed my 31 year old neice -who is leaving - to move in without paying rent. I realize she can have anyone she wants live there but we no longer feel it our obligation to pay for the bills when she could be getting help from well-off but cheap boyfriend and family. My sister says that because we bought the house we own the bills OR her other scenero is that the bills we pay are in leu of rent because my mom could be getting rental income from our apt and we could be displaced. I would like to know what our circumstances really are. Also I am concerned that the house that we bought and have been paying the bills on and sinking money into will not go to our children in the event that we die before my mother. Anyone?

