Land Trust

A Florida land trust is a special type of revocable grantor trust that allows a grantor to conceal property ownership from the public. The grantor appoints someone else to act as trustee of the land trust and that person holds legal title to the property for the benefit of a beneficiary, who is typically the grantor. The beneficiaries of the land trust are also kept private; only the trustee’s name appears in public records. A land trust can be created to hold title to multiple properties, and the beneficiaries can hold different interests in different properties.

 
The main benefit of a land trust is that it makes the grantor’s land ownership confidential, but there are other benefits too. Land trusts can also be used to avoid probate when the grantor passes away, avoid liens on the property, and transfer ownership privately. A land trust is not a reliable asset protection tool. A potential disadvantage of land trusts is the necessary involvement of the trustee in the property ownership: the land cannot be involved in a real estate transaction, property sale listing, permit application, contract, or eviction of a tenant without the involvement of the trustee.