Colorado Forms

Otero County Beneficiary Deed Form

Otero County Beneficiary Deed Form

Otero County Beneficiary Deed Form

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

Document Last Validated 5/23/2025
Otero County Beneficiary Deed Guide

Otero County Beneficiary Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/14/2025
Otero County Completed Example of the Beneficiary Deed Document

Otero County Completed Example of the Beneficiary Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 8/8/2025

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Otero County Clerk and Recorder
Address:
13 W Third St
La Junta, Colorado 81050

Hours: 8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday

Phone: (719) 383-3020

Recording Tips for Otero County:
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Ask if they accept credit cards - many offices are cash/check only
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible

Cities and Jurisdictions in Otero County

Properties in any of these areas use Otero County forms:

  • Cheraw
  • Fowler
  • La Junta
  • Manzanola
  • Rocky Ford
  • Swink

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Otero County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Otero 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 Otero County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Otero 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 Otero 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 Otero County?

Recording fees in Otero County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (719) 383-3020 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Beneficiary deeds in Colorado are governed by C.R.S. 15-15-401, et seq. (2012).

Under this statute, which was signed into law in 2004, a beneficiary deed is defined as "a deed, subject to revocation by the owner, which conveys an interest in real property and which contains language that the conveyance is to be effective upon the death of the owner and which may be in substantially the form described in section 15-15-404" (15-15-401(1)). To expand on this rather bare-bones definition, beneficiary deeds are useful estate planning tools that allow an individual who owns real estate in Colorado to pass that property to one or more designated grantee beneficiaries, but only after the owner's death. Note that this is a non-testamentary transfer, however, which means it is not included in a will, nor can it be cancelled by one (15-15-404(1), 15-15-405(4)). In addition, the conveyance is finalized without need for probate supervision.

The aspect of beneficiary deeds that makes them unique (and differentiates them from an ordinary life estate or joint tenancy deed) is the fact that the owner retains absolute ownership of and control over the property during his/her lifetime, and may revoke or change the beneficiary designation at will, without any obligation to notify the current grantee beneficiary (15-15-402). There is generally no consideration involved with these instruments because the future interest is not guaranteed. In fact, there is not even an obligation to inform the grantee beneficiary about the deed in the first place.

To revoke an executed and recorded beneficiary deed, the owner has two options:

1. Complete and record a revocation form (15-15-405(1)).

2. Complete and record another beneficiary deed, granting the land to someone else when the owner dies (15-15-405(2)).

Both options require that the revised instruments must be recorded during the owner's life to take effect, and any changes to the beneficiary designation are applied in order of execution, not by the recording date (15-15-405(3)). Even so, an unrecorded but executed revocation or modified beneficiary deed is void.

While beneficiary deeds are relatively straightforward instruments, there are a few important things to keep in mind about them:

- To take effect, the executed beneficiary deed must be recorded "prior to the death of the owner in the office of the clerk and recorder in the county where the real property is located" (15-15-404(1)).

- According to 15-15-403, no "person who is an applicant for or recipient of medical assistance for which it would be permissible for the department of health care policy and financing to assert a claim pursuant to section 25.5-4-301 or 25.5-4-302, C.R.S., shall be entitled to such medical assistance if the person has in effect a beneficiary deed. Notwithstanding the provisions of section 15-15-402 (1), the execution of a beneficiary deed by an applicant for or recipient of medical assistance as described in this section shall cause the property to be considered a countable resource in accordance with section 25.5-4-302 (6), C.R.S., and applicable rules."

- If the property identified on the beneficiary deed is held in joint ownership, 15-15-408 states that "title to the interest shall vest in the designated grantee-beneficiary only if the joint tenant-grantor is the last to die of all of the joint tenants of such interest. If a joint tenant-grantor is not the last joint tenant to die, the beneficiary deed shall not be effective, and the beneficiary deed shall not make the grantee-beneficiary an owner in joint tenancy with the surviving joint tenant or tenants. A beneficiary deed shall not sever a joint tenancy."

A word about grantee beneficiaries:
In most cases, the owner leaves the property to a family member. The statute does not, however, limit the conveyance to relatives. It defines grantee beneficiaries as "one or more persons or entities capable of holding title to real property designated in a beneficiary deed to receive an interest in real property upon the death of the owner. "Grantee-beneficiary" includes, but is not limited to, a successor grantee-beneficiary" (15-15-401(3)). If one or more named grantee beneficiaries are part of the owner's family, they are frequently identified as such for additional clarity.

Many owners wish to designate one or more successor grantee beneficiaries, in case the original one(s) are unable or unwilling to accept the real estate. If no successor is named and "one of multiple grantee-beneficiaries fails to survive the owner, and no provision for such contingency is made in the beneficiary deed, the share of the deceased grantee-beneficiary shall be proportionately added to, and pass as a part of, the shares of the surviving grantee-beneficiaries" (15-15-407(5)). Further, if no successor is named and there are no previously identified grantee beneficiaries in whom to vest title, the property typically reverts back to the deceased owner's estate for probate distribution.

As defined in 15-15-414, a "grantee-beneficiary may refuse to accept all or any part of the real property interest described in a beneficiary deed. A grantee-beneficiary may disclaim all or any part of the real property interest described in a beneficiary deed by any method provided by law. If a grantee-beneficiary refuses to accept or disclaims any real property interest, the grantee-beneficiary shall have no liability by reason of being designated as a grantee-beneficiary under this part 4."

Overall, Colorado beneficiary deeds are useful estate planning tools that can streamline the process of conveying ownership of real property to one or more designated grantee beneficiaries, free from the cost and complication of probate. They may, however, have an impact on taxes as well as eligibility for asset-based local, state, or federal programs. To ensure the most favorable outcome, carefully consider the associated risks and advantages before finalizing this or any other estate planning decision.

(Colorado Beneficiary Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

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

This Beneficiary Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Otero County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Otero 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 Otero County Beneficiary 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.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4578 Reviews )

Robert H.

January 16th, 2019

I have used the quit claim form and seem is very easy.

Reply from Staff

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April 18th, 2019

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DAVID JOHN M.

February 25th, 2019

The Transfer On Death Deed did work for New Mexico! Though I did have to add the long property description to the "Exhibit" page that was included with the document. Great website! Will use again! Thanks!!!

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Susan K.

February 16th, 2019

Very helpful; information included on the form explanations about Colorado laws in regards to beneficiary deeds helped us understand the issues involved.

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August 7th, 2020

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Mike M.

October 27th, 2020

Get Rid of the places to initial each page on the Trust Deed. The Co. Recorder (Davis) does not require that each page be initialled... If I and the "borrower" had initialed each page, then I would have to use US Mail to get the form from AZ to UT because scans of initials are not acceptable, but only a notarized signature from the borrower is...

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Robert J.

August 11th, 2020

Ordered the quitclaim forms. Amazing value! Received everything I needed and then some. The forms were easy to use and understand with the help of the guide. The best part was that once completed I used deeds.com's e-recording service to submit the document for recording (our county offices are still closed). Outstanding!

Reply from Staff

Thank you for the kinds words Robert, glad we could help.

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October 17th, 2020

It was very easy to navigate and very fast response time.

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Thank you!

Susan A.

April 18th, 2019

Very convenient. Instructions and samples are a plus because I often see documents incorrectly completed. Take the time to do it right.

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David M.

July 6th, 2020

Best $20 ever spent. I'm a bit of an idiot with these things, thankfully there are professionals who know what they are doing so I don't screw things up...

Reply from Staff

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June 3rd, 2021

Very good experience.

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Thank you!

John G.

August 6th, 2019

Great on line help with the recording process!

Reply from Staff

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Janet J.

December 15th, 2022

These forms were very easy to both download and print, as well as fill out on the site and then print. The instructions are clear and concise. We have not yet been to the County to file them, but we are expecting no issues.

Reply from Staff

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Carol T.

April 26th, 2019

It was very difficult to maneuver through your website the wording on certain things are very difficult to figure out. I can't seem to get through to one place that I want versus what I don't want. I think it needs to be a little more explanatory and I am a college graduate so it's not like I'm stupid or anything. Thank you

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. Very sorry to hear that we failed you with our navigation. We will certainly address it to see how we can approve. Have a wonderful day.

milton m.

August 27th, 2021

good product easy to use, as advertised

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