Minn. Stat. Section 518.191 provides for the family court to issue a Summary Real Estate Disposition Judgment (SREDJ) as a brief document separate from a divorce decree. The SREDJ can be filed with the county recorder in lieu of a quitclaim deed to clear title to the landowner.
That is to say, when the divorce decree awards one spouse sole ownership of the marital homestead, it may not be possible to obtain a quitclaim deed from the spouse who moved out. There may be difficulties with locating the spouse who moved out, or they may be unwilling to cooperate in formally relinquishing their interest in the homestead.
The SREDJ provides an alternative that does not require the involvement or cooperation of the spouse who moved out. The spouse in possession of the homestead, with or without the assistance of counsel, should submit to the appropriate family court a proposed SREDJ with the proper contents set forth in Minn. Stat. Section 518.191.