probate ?

[normal413]

question in ma.
i just received a bill from the commonwealth of ma. for nearly 35k in medicaid expenses.
my mom's estate is worth $1900. she passed oct 2001.
6 months ago i legally purchased her home (100,000 value) for $50,000. i have been living in the house since 1993. took out a loan in both our names in 1998. paid it off when i purchased the house.
is this house legally mine? can the state make me responsible for the equity in the house? thanks

 

[ALawyer]

You'll need a lawyer. If the state paid the benefits, and has a claim against the estate for them, and would have had a claim on the house, and you acted in an effort to beat the state and defeat the claim by paying a franction of what the house was worth, there may be a real problem. The policy issue is who should be expected to pay for your mom's care -- she (to the extent she could afford to) or the other taxpayers in the state? The legal issue is a bit diffrenet, so get a lawyer.