1. (a) A mortgage, deed of trust, assignment for the benefit of creditors, or bill of sale upon exempted articles is not binding or valid unless it is signed by the spouse or domestic partner of a debtor who is living with his or her spouse or domestic partner. This section shall not apply to instruments related to property exempted in § 15-501(a)(14).
2. (b) For the purposes of this section, the term “domestic partner” shall have the same meaning as provided in § 32-701(3).

History

Dec. 23, 1963, 77 Stat. 530, Pub. L. 88-241, § 1

Oct. 1, 1976, D.C. Law 1-87, § 11, 23 DCR 2544

Apr. 4, 2006, D.C. Law 16-79, § 3, 53 DCR 1035

Mar. 2, 2007, D.C. Law 16-191, § 131(a), 53 DCR 6794

Mar. 14, 2007, D.C. Law 16-270, § 3(b), 54 DCR 851

Editor's Notes

Section 4 of D.C. Law 16-270 provided: “Section 3 shall apply as of April 27, 2001.”

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 16-270, in subsec. (a), inserted “This section shall not apply to instruments related to property exempted in § 15-501(a)(14).”

D.C. Law 16-191, in subsec. (a), validated a previously made technical correction.

D.C. Law 16-79 rewrote section, which had read as follows: “A mortgage, deed of trust, assignment for the benefit of creditors, or bill of sale upon exempted articles is not binding or valid unless it is signed by the spouse of a debtor who is married and living with his or her spouse.”

Prior Codifications

1973 Ed., § 15-502.

1981 Ed., § 15-502.