Sonoma County Transfer on Death Deed Forms (California)

Form Package

Transfer on Death Deed

State

California

Area

Sonoma County

Price

$27.97

Delivery

Immediate Download

Payment Information

Email:

Please provide a valid email.

First Name

Please provide a valid first name.

Last Name

Please provide a valid last name.

Credit Card Type Select Card Type Visa Mastercard American Express Discover

Credit Card Number

Please provide a valid card number.

Expiration Month Select Month 01 - January 02 - February 03 - March 04 - April 05 - May 06 - June 07 - July 08 - August 09 - September 10 - October 11 - November 12 - December

Expiration Year Select Year202420252026202720282029203020312032203320342035203620372038203920402041204220432044

Card Security Code

Please provide a valid security code.

Billing Zip Code

Please provide a valid billing zip code.

Phone Number:

I agree to the Terms of Use and I understand I am purchasing blank real estate deed forms and not a copy of my existing deed.

You must agree before submitting.

Place Order - Download

More info on getting a copy of your existing deed and eRecording.

Included Forms

All Sonoma County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Included Supplemental Documents

The following California and Sonoma County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Areas Covered by These Transfer on Death Deed Forms:

• Sonoma County

Including:

• Annapolis
• Bodega
• Bodega Bay
• Boyes Hot Springs
• Camp Meeker
• Cazadero
• Cloverdale
• Cotati
• Duncans Mills
• El Verano
• Eldridge
• Forestville
• Fulton
• Geyserville
• Glen Ellen
• Graton
• Guerneville
• Healdsburg
• Jenner
• Kenwood
• Monte Rio
• Occidental
• Penngrove
• Petaluma
• Rio Nido
• Rohnert Park
• Santa Rosa
• Sebastopol
• Sonoma
• Stewarts Point
• The Sea Ranch
• Valley Ford
• Villa Grande
• Vineburg
• Windsor

What is the California Transfer on Death Deed

Use this form to transfer real estate at death, but outside of a will and without the need for probate distribution. Execute the TODD form, then record it during the course of your life, and within 60 days of the signing date (5626(a)). Note that unlike grant deeds or quitclaim deeds, there is no change in ownership when transfer on death deeds are recorded (5650), so they are exempt from transfer taxes and the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR).

Section 5650 explains that while you are alive, you retain absolute ownership of and control over your property. You may sell, mortgage, rent, or otherwise use the real estate in any lawful manner, without input from or notice to the beneficiaries, or even modify or revoke the future transfer.

Be aware, too, that the TODD is NOT affected by provisions in your will (5642(b)). Best practices dictate that any change to an estate plan initiates a review of the whole thing, so to reduce the chance for conflict, ensure that the transfer on death deed reinforces the will and other related documents.

Beneficiaries take title to the property under the rules set out at section 5652. Any associated debts, obligations, or agreements in place when you die follow the real estate to the beneficiaries. In addition, the title transfers without warranty, so the beneficiaries might find themselves liable for future claims against the property. For these reasons, among others, some beneficiaries might wish to disclaim the gift (5652(a)(1)).

As it stands, California's transfer on death deed is not valid for real estate held in joint tenancy or as community property with right of survivorship (5664).

5624. A revocable transfer on death deed is not effective unless all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(a) The deed is signed by the transferor and dated.
(b) The deed is signed by two witnesses who were present at the same time and who witnessed either the signing of the deed or the transferor's acknowledgment that the transferor had signed the deed.
(c) The deed is acknowledged before a notary public.

SEC. 10. Section 5625 is added to the Probate Code, to read:
5625. (a) Any person generally competent to be a witness may act as a witness to a revocable transfer on death deed.
(b) A revocable transfer on death deed is not invalid because it is signed by an interested witness.
(c) If a beneficiary of a revocable transfer on death deed is also a subscribing witness, there is a presumption that the witness procured the revocable transfer on death deed by duress, menace, fraud, or undue influence. This presumption is a presumption affecting the burden of proof. This presumption does not apply where the witness is named as beneficiary solely in a fiduciary capacity.

Overall, the Simple Revocable Transfer on Death Deed offers a convenient, flexible option to consider as part of an overall estate plan. Even so, they may not be appropriate in all cases. Contact an attorney for complex situations or with any questions.

Included NOTICE OF REVOCABLE TRANSFER ON DEATH DEED Form
5681. (a) After the death of the transferor, the beneficiary of a revocable transfer on death deed shall serve notice on the transferor's heirs, along with a copy of the revocable transfer on death deed and a copy of the transferor's death certificate. (b) The notice required by subdivision (a) shall be in substantially the following form:

(California Transfer on Death Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Sonoma 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 Sonoma County Transfer on Death Deed 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.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 (4320 Reviews)