Which statement best describes proration at closing?

• A. It assigns fees solely to the buyer
• B. It assigns fees solely to the seller
• C. It results in a debit to one party and a credit to the other
• D. It has no effect on closing statements

Answer: (C)

Proration at closing is about fairly dividing ongoing expenses between the buyer and seller for the portion of time each owns or uses the property. Since these costs cover a period that crosses the closing date, the amount is split so that the responsible party pays for the days they own the home, and the other party is compensated for the days covered by their ownership.

That’s why the correct idea is that proration results in a debit to one party and a credit to the other. The closing statement records this transfer to reflect each party’s true share of the expense.

For example, if the yearly property taxes are $1,600 and closing happens halfway through the year, the buyer would be charged about $800 and the seller would receive a credit for about $800. This keeps the charges aligned with the actual period each party owns the property. Similar logic applies to other proratable items like interest or HOA dues.