Adding a person while the existing owners remain is an inclusion
A worked RES examination question on change of ownership and occupiers, from our Paper 2 bank — with the rule it turns on, and why each of the four options is right or wrong.
The question
Mr and Mrs Raj own their HDB flat jointly and, now that their son has married, want to add their new daughter-in-law as a third co-owner while both of them stay on the title. Their agent identifies which recognised change of ownership, made without an open-market sale, this is. Which statement is correct?
The answer, and why
Answer: C
The rule. Ownership can change without an open-market sale in four recognised ways: inclusion (add an owner), substitution (swap one owner for another), withdrawal (remove an owner), and transfer (all owners step down for a new eligible group). Adding a person while the existing owners remain is an inclusion.
Why C is correct. Adding the daughter-in-law while Mr and Mrs Raj both stay on the title is an inclusion of a new owner.
The other options.
- A a substitution swaps one owner out for another — here no one leaves.
- B a transfer needs all the existing owners to step down — the Rajs are staying on.
- D a withdrawal removes an owner — here an owner is added, not removed.
Exam note. Adding an owner with no one leaving = inclusion. Distinguish it from substitution (a swap) and transfer (everyone changes).
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