123-Year-Law Gets Iowa Couple Free House

Thursday, 17 March 2011 | by Pat's Picks

A 123-year-old law helped an Iowa couple fight a foreclosure and get their $278,000 home for virtually nothing says the Des Moines Register. The circa 1888 law says that both spouses must sign a mortgage—the intention being to protect them if one partner makes a bad financial move. But instead, the Iowa couple used the loophole to convince a judge to void their foreclosure proceedings. That means after making just one payment, the house is theirs.