My home state is Tennessee.
My ex and I purchased a home in 1994 and divorced in 1995. In the original divorce decree, the home was to be sold and my ex paid his portion of the equity in the home. He never paid child support and I was afraid at the time to sell the house and be on the street with 3 young kids. He never pushed the sell and I continued to live in the house and pay the mortgage.
In 1998, I took him to court (for several reasons) and the judge awarded me the home because of the extensive amount of child support owed. Way over the amount of equity in the home. My lawyer told me to take the court order to the county register of deeds to file. This was done and all these years I thought the house was in my name.
I just applied for a home equity loan and the title company is saying that my lawyer should have made out a Quit Claim Deed for the ex to sign after the judge awarded me the house. My lawyer (at that time) is out of town. My question is----Did my lawyer misinform me about just having to file the court order? Is the house really not just in my name? My ex and I do not get along at all and I will never get him to sign a Quit Claim Deed, the State of Tennessee can't even get him to show up for child support court.
With 2 teenage boys, my bills are really piling up and I really need this loan...quick. I feel like if I have to go through the process of trying to get him to sign a Quit Claim Deed, this will be drug out for ever! HELP!

