§ 41-63.  Termination of tenancy by the entirety other than upon death of a spouse; effects of termination.

Events terminating a tenancy by the entirety other than the death of a spouse and the effects of termination include the following:

(1) The voluntary sale and conveyance of property held as tenants by the entirety to a third party, including a foreclosure sale pursuant to a power of sale in a deed of trust. Proceeds of the sale, including surplus funds generated from a foreclosure sale, are personal property held by the spouses as tenants in common.

(2) The voluntary partition between the spouses executing a joint instrument conveying the property held as tenants by the entirety to themselves as tenants in common or in severalty.

(3) The involuntary transfer of title of property held by spouses as tenants by the entirety. The proceeds resulting from the transfer are held by the spouses as tenants by the entirety. An involuntary transfer of title includes:

a. A sale pursuant to Article 15 of Chapter 35A of the General Statutes as to an incompetent spouse.

b. An appropriation in a condemnation proceeding by the North Carolina State Highway Commission.

(4) The conveyance from one spouse to the other spouse of his or her interest in property held as tenants by the entirety. The conveyance vests the property or interest formerly held as tenants by the entirety in the other spouse. The joinder of a spouse in a conveyance made by the grantor pursuant to this subdivision is not necessary, but the conveyance is subject to the provisions of G.S. 52-10 or G.S. 52-10.1, except that an acknowledgment by the spouse of the grantor is not necessary.

(5) An absolute divorce of the spouses. An absolute divorce converts property held as tenants by the entirety to a tenancy in common.

(6) A judgment of forfeiture ordering divestment of an interest in tenancy by the entirety pursuant to Chapter 75D of the General Statutes. The effect of a judgment when one spouse is an innocent person as defined in G.S. 75D-5(i) is governed by G.S. 75D-8(a). (1957, c. 598, s. 1; 1965, c. 878, s. 3; 1977, c. 375, s. 9; 2020-50, s. 1(a)-(c).)