Problem w/HELOC: Husband's name on ID doesn't match name on deed

[JudyS]

My husband is in the process of applying for a Home Equity Line of Credit for our home in Michigan. The problems is, all of his official photo ID is in the name "Thomas" but he wrote his name as "Tom" when we got the deed. The bank says that, according to Michigan law, he must have photo ID that matches the name on his deed.

Probably his Social Security file is in the name of "Tom", but we are not certain.

I did a quick search online with the MI Security of State, and they imply that they will change names only with a court order or marriage license. However, in Michigan, the name on one's driver's license is supposed to match the name on one's Social Security card. I am wondering if my husband can claim he put his name incorrectly on his driver's license, and that he wants to change it to match his Social Security card. (Assuming his name actually *is* Tom on his Social Security card -- he hasn't found the card yet. )

And yes, I have been telling him for years to try to put his name as "Tom" on his driver's license, because he already has ID (a passport) that says "Thomas". Now, we have a deadline to find a way to get ID under the name "Tom" before our HELOC closing window expires. I am very stressed!

 

[Talent312]

He should be using the name on his birth certificate... that is his legal name.
He can "fix" the deed by deeding the property from yourselves to yourselves.
It's called a "Corrective Deed." It's not unusual. We had to do that once.

He can request a new Social Security card online (ssa.gov) or at a SS office.
With an online account, he can also check his earnings and estimate benefits.

To get a "real ID" DL, he'll need to present...
-- a passport or a birth certificate for proof of identity
-- a SS card, paystub or any 1099 for proof of social security
-- a deed, voter ID, vehicle registration, W-2, 1099, etc. for proof of address.
His name on all these documents need to match.
.

 

[VacationForever]

He should really have everything titled as Thomas. It is his legal name. My husband also goes by a shortened form of his first name and whenever I create an account for him, I use his full first name. He is not happy about it but he is coming around to it after airlines gave him alot of hassle when he used his shortened form of his first name. They had rejected him that he was the same person since heightened security post 9/11. He finally sees my point.

 

[WinniWoman]

OMG. I can relate. My husband always had a complex about not having a middle name, so he always used his confirmation name as his middle name. So since he was a kid his driver's license has the initial J on it for the middle initial. So it is that way on his SS/Medicare card. We did not dare to try to attempt to change it.

For years, I have argued with him about not using his middle initial on anything else. It is not on his passport and and some other things since I guess they use his birth certificate as a document when it was issued. And it is not on the timeshare deed, but I am sure it is on some other documents we are not aware of. SMH....

People don't realize what a hassle this can be if they do things like this. Even with my name I try to emphasize it is two words - my first name Mary Ann (middle name is Robbin). But computers hate the space between my name and will refer to me as "Mary", "assuming" Ann is my middle name, so I end up having to type the Mary and Ann together when on line.

 

[Makai Guy]

Everyone who knows me knows me as Doug Wilson, but Douglas is my MIDDLE name. My folks named me that way but intended me to go by my middle name, and that's the way I was raised. (The "F" is for a family name that has been carried down a handful of generations.) I think they thought F Douglas Wilson just sounded better than Douglas F Wilson. I think I agree, but it may just be that that's the way I'm used to it. At any rate ...

My normal signature is "F. Douglas Wilson". The trouble is anything involving a government entity requires my full first name when filling out forms, and if my middle name is included at all often they'll only take an initial. Consequently my passport and driver license both have all 3 names, and since travel documents (airlines, cruises, etc.) now must match my official IDs, they often just have my normally unused first name and no middle name. Thanks to government's finger in the medical services pie, I'm typically known by my first name there too. For less formal stuff, like credit card accounts, I'll usually enter my first name as "F Douglas" and it usually seems to work. It is amazing how much auto-generated mail I get that starts out "Dear F.".

This has been a major hassle all my life.

I think for most of us here it's too late to give advice for naming our own children, but at least some of you may still have a shot at influencing the naming of grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren. My advice: You can save kids a lifetime of trouble if you DO NOT NAME KIDS TO GO BY THEIR MIDDLE NAMES.

 

[Luanne]

My mother's legal name was Elizabeth Jean Carson. But, for some reason, her parents used Betty Jean Carson (which is what she went by) on her social security (I think). I don't know if this caused any problems for her in her earlier life, but later on when she was living with my sister, my sister said they had all kinds of "fun" with this. My sister's comment was "Why the heck did her parents do that?".

 

[louisianab]

I think some of this is easier now, than say in the 1960s or before because you get your SS card and number at birth and it automatically matches your birth certificate. Then you use those for your license. When SS numbers weren't issued at birth, it gave a lot more leeway on errors and name issues.. (my uncle found out when he was 50+ that his birth certificate had a misspelled first name and no one had ever caught it. Different aunt had DOB wrong with SS but right with IRS and once all that was digital, there was a huge thing)
Also - working in the medical field - Whatever your Medicare card says is your name is what your DR/hospital is going to put, because otherwise they won't get paid. Even if it does not match your ID.

 

[Cornell]

My minor-aged daughter legally changed her last name when she was 15. When I went to get her a new passport (reflecting the name change), the Dept of State refused to issue her a passport w/her new name. UGH!!!!! She is spending a year abroad as a foreign-exchange student . Getting her Swiss visa was a PIA b/c her school records, etc all use her NEW last name, yet her passport has her OLD last name. Fortunately the Swiss consulate gave her a visa.

I will be glad when she's 18 and can get a new passport with her correct, NEW last name without any parental involvement.

 

[PigsDad]

When my Dad was born in the 1930's, his parents were still undecided on his name so the hospital filed his birth certificate as "Baby Boy" <last name>. Later on in life he got his SS card, license, etc. and all was fine, until in the 1990's he wanted to apply for a passport. It took over a year, but he finally got all the paperwork to correct his birth certificate. We laugh about that now.

Kurt

 

[Luanne]

When my Dad was born in the 1930's, his parents were still undecided on his name so the hospital filed his birth certificate as "Baby Boy" <last name>. Later on in life he got his SS card, license, etc. and all was fine, until in the 1990's he wanted to apply for a passport. It took over a year, but he finally got all the paperwork to correct his birth certificate. We laugh about that now.

Kurt

I had a boss named Yvonne. She told me that her name was supposed to be Yvette, but when her father was asked for her first name......Yvonne.

 

[Passepartout]

Judy, my family law attorney wife says (and doesn't practice in your state) that Tom can quit-claim the deed to 'Thomas, AKA Tom' and record it with the county. Then he has ID to support either name. Check w/an attorney there, but quit claims are pretty universal.

End of problem.

Jim

 

[WinniWoman]

Everyone who knows me knows me as Doug Wilson, but Douglas is my MIDDLE name. My folks named me that way but intended me to go by my middle name, and that's the way I was raised. (The "F" is for a family name that has been carried down a handful of generations.) I think they thought F Douglas Wilson just sounded better than Douglas F Wilson. I think I agree, but it may just be that that's the way I'm used to it. At any rate ...

My normal signature is "F. Douglas Wilson". The trouble is anything involving a government entity requires my full first name when filling out forms, and if my middle name is included at all often they'll only take an initial. Consequently my passport and driver license both have all 3 names, and since travel documents (airlines, cruises, etc.) now must match my official IDs, they often just have my normally unused first name and no middle name. Thanks to government's finger in the medical services pie, I'm typically known by my first name there too. For less formal stuff, like credit card accounts, I'll usually enter my first name as "F Douglas" and it usually seems to work. It is amazing how much auto-generated mail I get that starts out "Dear F.".

This has a major hassle all my life.

I think for most of us here it's too late to give advice for naming our own children, but at least some of you may still have a shot at influencing the naming of grandchildren, or even great-grandchildren. My advice: You can save kids a lifetime of trouble if you DO NOT NAME KIDS TO GO BY THEIR MIDDLE NAMES.

Right, My dad's name was Italo. His middle name was Joe. Everyone always called him Joe.

My mom's was Mafalda. No one EVER called her that. They called her Mae and that was on most of her legal documents.

 

[davidvel]

My brother's legal name is Dan. (But Mom called him Danny!!! as a kid.)

He co-authored his first book. Got a final proof. He proofread it. Made a few minor corrections. Everything looked good. Publisher did the first run and he and his co-author were exited to get the first copies the mail.

He was crestfallen when he saw the cover. Author's name: "Daniel." Yep, publisher unilaterally changed from Dan to Daniel in the final proof without consulting anyone. They said they thought "Dan" had to be a mistake as it is a nickname, and hey had a deadline to meet.

No, they did not reprint for free, and he didn't want to raise a stink.

 

[clifffaith]

Cliff's birth certificate says April 10th. His mother, and she should know, said he was born on the 8th. SS and Medicare use the 10th, his passport and DL say the 8th. I was aware of this way in the back of my mind, yet I still stood for 30 minutes at the hospital pharmacy window trying to pick up post surgery drugs for him before it dawned on me they couldn't fill the Rx because they couldn't find insurance eligibility using April 8th.

 

[geist1223]

My minor-aged daughter legally changed her last name when she was 15. When I went to get her a new passport (reflecting the name change), the Dept of State refused to issue her a passport w/her new name. UGH!!!!! She is spending a year abroad as a foreign-exchange student . Getting her Swiss visa was a PIA b/c her school records, etc all use her NEW last name, yet her passport has her OLD last name. Fortunately the Swiss consulate gave her a visa.

I will be glad when she's 18 and can get a new passport with her correct, NEW last name without any parental involvement.

Were the Court Records regarding the name change sent to the Public Agency that maintains her Birth Records? This is normally done so the Birth Records can be annotated.

 

[geist1223]

Patti's Maternal Grandfather and Grandmother were visiting Family in the USA from Scotland when her Mother was born about a month early. They returned to Scotland and immigrated to the USA several years later. Her Mother's Birth was recorded in a small USA town Courthouse - which burned down several years later. So whenever Patti's Mother needed proof of Birth and place of Birth her Aunt would submit a legally prepared Affidavit. This resulted in Patti's Mother having several different years of Birth depending on how old she wanted/needed to be. Enlist in the Navy during WE II make her older. Get married make her younger. So Patti and her Sister have no idea what year their Mom was born.

My first wife's first name was Dona. Her Mother and Father agreed she would be named after her Father - Donald. When her Dad filled out the paperwork at the Hospital her did not know that Dona (Donna) was suppose to have 2 N's.

When I first entered the USMC I was surprised how many Marines shared the same middle name - NMI - No Middle Initial.

 

[VacationForever]

Well... I have 2 words for my given / first name and no middle name or initial. It has nothing but frustrating dealing with most businesses like hotel and airline businesses where their systems are set up to accept 1 word for the first name and 1 word for the second name.

 

[JudyS]

Lots of interesting ideas and stories here! Thanks for the replies. My husband has his Social Security card, plus a Federal radio license, in the name of "Tom." The mortgage lender said one of their notaries might accept that. If not, we may have to go the corrective deed or Quit-claim deed route.

...
To get a "real ID" DL, he'll need to present...
-- a passport or a birth certificate for proof of identity
-- a SS card, paystub or any 1099 for proof of social security
-- a deed, voter ID, vehicle registration, W-2, 1099, etc. for proof of address.
His name on all these documents need to match.
.

I have just started hearing about the "Real ID" Driver's License. My own name is written as "Judy" on my Driver's License and Social Security card, but as "Judith" on my birth certificate, passport, and passport card. (Yes, I am one of those older folks whose Social Security card was registered years after I was born, with a different name than my birth certificate.) I currently use my Passport Card as ID when flying. Will that still work?

 

[Passepartout]

Lots of interesting ideas and stories here! Thanks for the replies. My husband has his Social Security card, plus a Federal radio license, in the name of "Tom." The mortgage lender said one of their notaries might accept that. If not, we may have to go the corrective deed or Quit-claim deed route.


I have just started hearing about the "Real ID" Driver's License. My own name is written as "Judy" on my Driver's License and Social Security card, but as "Judith" on my birth certificate, passport, and passport card. (Yes, I am one of those older folks whose Social Security card was registered years after I was born, with a different name than my birth certificate.) I currently use my Passport Card as ID when flying. Will that still work?

As long as the name on the ID you use to fly matches the name you put on the ticket.

 

[pedro47]

He should be using the name on his birth certificate... that is his legal name.
He can "fix" the deed by deeding the property from yourselves to yourselves.
It's called a "Corrective Deed." It's not unusual. We had to do that once.

He can request a new Social Security card online (ssa.gov) or at a SS office.
With an online account, he can also check his earnings and estimate benefits.

To get a "real ID" DL, he'll need to present...
-- a passport or a birth certificate for proof of identity
-- a SS card, paystub or any 1099 for proof of social security
-- a deed, voter ID, vehicle registration, W-2, 1099, etc. for proof of address.
His name on all these documents need to match.
.

Many, many, many, many years ago when my spouse applied for her first Passport. She learned that on her Virginia Birth Certificate she was Elizabeth blank JR. The junior was on her birth certificate and she had to correct this in order to obtain a Passport. She had to produce all the documents mention above. Please correct this now or ASAP.

She did not have to apply for a new Social Security card or DMV driving license.

 

[Talent312]

While a passport or passport card will suffice for flying...
When he renews his DL, he will likely be asked for the "Real ID" docs.

My current DL expires in 2025, but it doesn't have the "gold star."
I'm putting together a packet replace it. But when they update my photo:
I'll go from how I looked in 2009, to how I look now... 10 years older.

.

 

[Cornell]

Were the Court Records regarding the name change sent to the Public Agency that maintains her Birth Records? This is normally done so the Birth Records can be annotated.

No -- why would I change her birth records? She's changed her last name at 15, just as a woman would change her name after she gets married.

 

[WVBaker]

But when they update my photo: I'll go from how I looked in 2009, to how I look now... 10 years older. .

"Time may be a great healer, but it's a lousy beautician."
Dorothy Parker

 

[WinniWoman]

Well... I have 2 words for my given / first name and no middle name or initial. It has nothing but frustrating dealing with most businesses like hotel and airline businesses where their systems are set up to accept 1 word for the first name and 1 word for the second name.

Yup. Similar to my issue. They think Ann is my middle name and always refer to me as Mary. Makes me nuts!

 

[VacationForever]

Yup. Similar to my issue. They think Ann is my middle name and always refer to me as Mary. Makes me nuts!

Hello Mary A, it is nice meeting you. LOL