Alabama Forms

Shelby County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Form

Shelby County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Form

Shelby County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Validated 7/31/2025 Preview Form
Shelby County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Guide

Shelby County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Validated 5/19/2025 Preview Form
Shelby County Completed Example of the Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Document

Shelby County Completed Example of the Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Validated 7/24/2025 Preview Form

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Important: Your property must be located in Shelby County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Probate Court: Recording

Address:
County Courthouse - 112 N Main St / PO Box 825
Columbiana, Alabama 35051

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F

Phone: 205-669-3720

Recording Tips for Shelby County:
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible

Cities and Jurisdictions in Shelby County

Properties in any of these areas use Shelby County forms:

  • Alabaster
  • Birmingham
  • Calera
  • Chelsea
  • Columbiana
  • Harpersville
  • Helena
  • Maylene
  • Montevallo
  • Pelham
  • Saginaw
  • Shelby
  • Siluria
  • Sterrett
  • Vandiver
  • Vincent
  • Westover
  • Wilsonville
  • Wilton

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Shelby County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Shelby County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Shelby County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Shelby County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Shelby County?

Recording fees in Shelby County vary. Contact the recorder's office at 205-669-3720 for current fees.

Have other questions? Contact our support team

Alabama law allows two or more people to share title to real property as either tenants in common or as joint tenants. One aspect of joint tenancy in many states is the right of survivorship, which causes the shares of a deceased co-owner to be distributed amongst the surviving owners as a function of law, without the need for probate.

In Alabama, however, when "one joint tenant dies before the severance, his interest does not survive to the other joint tenants but descends and vests as if his interest had been severed and ascertained [as with tenancy in common]; provided, that in the event it is stated in the instrument creating such tenancy that such tenancy is with right of survivorship or other words used therein showing such intention, then, upon the death of one joint tenant, his interest shall pass to the surviving joint tenant or tenants according to the intent of such instrument." (ALA CODE 35-4-7). To restate this more simply, Alabama joint tenancy functions like a tenancy in common (separate shares of the whole) unless the intent for survivorship is clearly stated in the text of the deed.

Assuming the intent for survivorship is established and a co-owner dies, how does a surviving joint tenant make the redistribution official? At minimum, the living co-owner should record a copy of the deceased owner's death certificate. For more clarity, though, include the death certificate with an affidavit that contains the relevant details about the property transaction where the joint tenants gained title to the real estate in question.

Section 35-4-69 of the Alabama Code explains that affidavits "heretofore recorded or that may hereafter be recorded showing the relationship of parties or other persons to conveyances of lands, the relationship of any parties to any conveyances with other parties whose names are shown in the chain of title to lands ... and affidavits stating any other fact or circumstance affecting title to land or any right, title, interest in or lien or encumbrance upon land, when so recorded, the record of said affidavits shall be notice of the facts therein recited; and any such affidavit may be made by any person whether connected with the chain of title or not. This section shall apply to affidavits heretofore or hereafter made whether the same were made in connection with any particular transaction or merely to perfect title to land." Because an affidavit made under oath, it is admissible as evidence. Recording it along with the death certificate provides formal notice of the redistribution of the deceased owner's portion of the property rights.

It is essential for owners of real property to maintain a clear chain of title (ownership history), and recording an affidavit to verify changes such as the death of a co-owner is an effective way to accomplish this. A clear chain of title is important because it will help to simplify future sales of the real estate. Filing the affidavit clears the title, but the only way to remove the deceased joint tenant's name from the deed is for the survivors to execute and record a new deed. This instrument should show all joint tenants as grantors, with the decedent appropriately identified, and only the survivors as grantees. A certified copy of the recorded affidavit should accompany the new deed; other required supporting documents may vary from county to county.

(Alabama Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Important: Your property must be located in Shelby County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant meets all recording requirements specific to Shelby County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Shelby County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Shelby County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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