Found these In Ohio a spouse is given rights in a purchased property even if they had nothing to do with the purchase. We are one of the few states that still have dower rights and that is why in Ohio we says it takes one to buy and two to sell. Here is a little information for you. "Dower Right" refers to an interest in real estate established by state law that is intended to protect a non-title holding spouse. Ohio is one of the few remaining states that still provide for such rights. Within the real estate legal community, there are periodic efforts to introduce legislation that would abolish, or at least modify the interest so that it does not create the number of title problems for which it is responsible, but so far none have been successful. Under this doctrine, whenever a married person buys real estate in Ohio, the married person's spouse is automatically the recipient of this "dower" interest. Dower is a complicated, contingent and partial interest in the real estate. Consequently, any document that intends to convey or mortgage an interest in the property is not effective as to the dower interest of the spouse unless that spouse has also signed the document. Most real estate agents understand that when a married seller signs the Deed, their spouse must also sign to release his/her dower rights. Without the spouse signing the Deed, the new owner's interest is SUBJECT to the dower interest of the spouse of the former owner. Dower is a statue that gives either the husband or the wife rights to a potential one-third-life estate in his or her spouse's real estate. In the state of Ohio, once a man or woman engages in marriage, all real property is subject to dower rights. This includes property that came to be owned before marriage, whether it is purchased by, inherited by, or given to spouse while they were single.