Ohio Revised Code

Ohio Rev. Code § 2103.041 (2026)

Judicial sale of dower interest without consent of spouse

✓ current as of May 2026
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In any action involving the judicial sale of real property for the purpose of satisfying the claims of creditors of an owner of an interest in the property, the spouse of the owner may be made a party to the action, and the dower interest of the spouse, whether inchoate or otherwise, may be subjected to the sale without the consent of the spouse. The court shall determine the present value and priority of the dower interest in accordance with section 2131.01 of the Revised Code and shall award the spouse a sum of money equal to the present value of the dower interest, to be paid out of the proceeds of the sale according to the priority of the interest. To the extent that the owner and the owner's spouse are both liable for the indebtedness, the dower interest of the spouse is subordinate to the claims of their common creditors.

Notes of Decisions
Cited in 16 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1986–2026 · leading case: Drown v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (In Re Barnhart), 447 B.R. 551 (Bankr. S.D. Ohio 2011).
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Drown v. JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (In Re Barnhart), 447 B.R. 551 (Bankr. S.D. Ohio 2011). · cites it 30× “Ohio Rev.Code Ann. § 2103.041 (West 2011).”
In Re Miller, 151 B.R. 800 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 1992). · cites it 8× “Ohio Rev.Code § 2103.041 (Anderson 1990) states that “[t]o the extent that the owner and his spouse are both liable for the indebtedness, the dower interest of the spouse is subordinate to the claims of their common creditors.”
In Re Wycuff, 332 B.R. 297 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2005). · cites it 4× “In In re Miller, it was held It is this court’s view that the American Experience Table, expressly made applicable to cases involving judicial sale by Ohio Rev.Code § 2103.041, is the better choice.”
In Re Rosario, 402 B.R. 223 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2009). · cites it 5× “Ohio Rev.Code § 2103.041. The value of the dower interest is determined by the present value of a life estate in the property, based upon the age of the spouse with the dower interest.”
In re Whitt, 534 B.R. 320 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2015). · cites it 7× “Although dower rights are, in one sense, “inchoate” 3 because they are contingent, the right to dower is statutorily protected, “whether inchoate or otherwise,” from judicial sales of real property.”
Stand Energy Corp. v. Epler, 837 N.E.2d 1229 (Ohio Ct. App. 2005). · cites it 2× “Despite the contingent, inchoate nature of a dower interest prior to the owner-spouse’s death, a judicial sale of the property during the owner-spouse’s lifetime does not vitiate the other spouse’s dower interest. Rather, in an action involving a judicial sale, a court must…”
BAC Home Loans Servicing, L.P. v. Kolenich, 958 N.E.2d 194 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011). “Upon review, we note that the totality of her claim alleges that she “has statutory rights in the subject property pursuant to R.C. 2103.041” and that she is “entitled to the remedies provided by law.”
State v. Thrower, 610 N.E.2d 433 (Ohio Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 3× “Economou further attempts to invoke R.C. 2103.041, which protects dower rights, “whether inchoate or otherwise,” from judicial sales of real property.”
Gen. Elec. Credit Union v. Medow, 2016 Ohio 3266 (Ohio Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 3× “See R.C. 2103.041. But each party contends that its respective interest has priority over that held by the other party.”
In Re Rudicil, 343 B.R. 181 (Bankr. S.D. Ohio 2006). · cites it 2× “Although admitting a complete lack of supporting authority, Debtors propose that the court apply lien avoidance under § 522(f) as if it were in conjunction with a state judicial foreclosure proceeding or § 363 sale in bankruptcy.”
In Re Martz, 293 B.R. 409 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 2002). “Sections 2103.041, 2131.01, and 5731.01(B) of the Ohio Revised Code set forth that this value should be ascertained by “the price at which such property would change hands between a willing buyer and a willing seller[.”
Airlines Reporting Corp. v. Lambert (In Re Lambert), 57 B.R. 710 (Bankr. N.D. Ohio 1986). “, § 2103.041 (p. 1976 Supp.). Thusly, it becomes clear that it is the dower interest, which is capable of valuation, that comes into the debtor’s estate, and not the property itself which is titled in the name of the non-debtor spouse.”
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