Berrien County Transfer on Death Deed for Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship Form

Georgia's Transfer on Death Deed for joint tenants addresses a situation that the single-owner version cannot: two people who already hold title together as joint tenants with right of survivorship and want to name a beneficiary who steps in only after both of them are gone. Under O.C.G.A. § 44-17-6, that survivor-takes-all structure is preserved in full — the TOD deed does not sever the joint tenancy, and the named beneficiary receives nothing until the last surviving record owner dies. This is a deed that married couples and other co-owners use to keep their existing ownership intact while adding a probate-avoidance safety net for the generation that comes after them.

What This Form Does

Both joint tenants execute a single deed that designates one or more grantee beneficiaries to receive the property automatically upon the death of the last surviving record owner. While either owner is alive, the joint tenancy operates exactly as it did before the deed was signed: if one dies, the survivor becomes the sole owner. The beneficiary designation waits silently in the public record, activating only when the surviving owner also dies. No probate proceeding is required to transfer the property at that point. The deed is fully revocable during the owners' lifetimes and does not transfer any present interest to the beneficiary (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-7).

Georgia's Joint Owner Rule — The Critical Difference from Other States

Most states that recognize TOD deeds treat each co-owner's interest as independently designatable. Georgia's statute takes a different approach for jointly executed deeds. When both joint tenants sign a single TOD deed together under O.C.G.A. § 44-17-6, the beneficiary designation applies to the entire property but vests only upon the death of the last survivor. There is no partial transfer when the first joint tenant dies — that owner's interest passes by survivorship to the co-owner, who continues as the sole record owner subject to the same TOD designation. A purchaser or creditor dealing with either owner during their lifetime treats the property as if no TOD deed exists (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-7).

When It Is Commonly Used

This form is used by married couples and other joint tenants who hold their home or investment property together and want to designate where that property goes after both are deceased, without relying on probate or a will for that transfer. It is also commonly used in combination with a revocable living trust, where the trust itself — through its trustee — is named as the beneficiary, allowing trust administration to govern distribution after the second death.

Execution Requirements

Both record owners must sign the deed. Georgia requires attestation by two witnesses and a notary public, with the notary permitted to serve as one of the two witnesses (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-15). The deed must be signed in the presence of the notary — pre-signing invalidates the acknowledgment. Each signer's full legal name must appear exactly as it does on the current vesting deed. If a name has changed since acquisition, both the current name and the former name should be recited.

Georgia-Specific Traps

Both Owners Must Sign — No Unilateral Execution

Unlike a single-owner TOD deed, this form requires the signature of both joint tenants. A deed signed by only one joint tenant is not invalid on its face, but under O.C.G.A. § 44-17-6 it will vest in the beneficiary only if the signing owner happens to be the last survivor — a condition that cannot be guaranteed at execution and that defeats the purpose of a jointly executed deed.

Revocation Requires All Joint Owners

Because both owners executed the deed together, neither can revoke or amend the beneficiary designation unilaterally while the other is living. Revocation requires a jointly executed revocation instrument that references the original TOD deed, is signed by both record owners (or their duly authorized attorneys-in-fact), and is attested by an officer and two additional witnesses before being recorded in the same county (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-4(a)). A will cannot revoke a TOD deed (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-4(c)).

The Deed Does Not Sever the Joint Tenancy

Signing this deed does not convert a joint tenancy into a tenancy in common. Survivorship rights between the two record owners remain unchanged. Some co-owners mistakenly believe that naming separate beneficiaries on a jointly executed deed will cause the property to split — it will not. The joint tenancy survives the TOD deed intact.

Preparer Identification Required for Recording

Under O.C.G.A. § 44-2-14, the name and mailing address of the person who prepared the deed must appear on the first page. Omitting preparer information can result in rejection at the Clerk of Court's office.

Return Address Required

The name and mailing address of the person to whom the recorded deed should be returned must also appear on the first page (O.C.G.A. § 44-2-14). The Clerk will not accept a deed without this information.

The Three-Inch Top Margin

The first page of every deed recorded in Georgia must have a three-inch blank margin at the top, reserved for the Clerk of Court's recording information. Content placed in that zone will be rejected. This form is formatted to that standard.

Spousal Homestead Rights

When the property serves as the primary residence of both spouses, both should execute the deed to address any homestead rights. A spouse who acquired any interest prior to the TOD deed's execution retains claims that are not extinguished by the deed (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-5(a)). Spouses who became co-owners after the deed is executed have no claim against the designated beneficiary.

Marital Status in Beneficiary Designations

Georgia deed practice requires the marital status of each grantee beneficiary to be recited. For individual beneficiaries, identify each as a single man or woman, an unmarried man or woman, or a married person taking as separate property. For trusts, identify the trustee in their fiduciary capacity rather than naming the trust as the direct recipient — a trust is not a legal entity capable of holding title.

The Nine-Month Beneficiary Deadline

After the last surviving record owner dies, the designated beneficiary must record an affidavit — together with a copy of the death certificate — with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the property is located within nine months of death. The affidavit must confirm the owner's death, state whether the beneficiary and owner were married at the time of death, and include the legal description of the property. Missing this deadline causes the property interest to revert to the deceased owner's estate (O.C.G.A. § 44-17-2(d)).

Property Tax Transfer Form

A PT-61 real estate transfer tax form is ordinarily required at recording of deeds that transfer property. Because a TOD deed conveys no present interest during the owners' lifetimes, PT-61 requirements at the time of recording should be confirmed with the local Clerk of Court before submission.

Recording

The deed must be recorded with the Clerk of Superior Court in the county where the property is located before the death of either record owner. An unrecorded TOD deed has no effect. Submit the original executed deed — not a copy — along with applicable recording fees. Print on 8.5" × 11" white paper, single-sided. Do not bind or staple pages, do not highlight text, and include a self-addressed stamped envelope for return of the recorded deed.

What Is Included

The download package contains the Georgia Transfer on Death Deed for joint tenants, formatted to meet Georgia recording requirements including the three-inch first-page margin, preparer and return-address blocks, statutory notice language required by O.C.G.A. § 44-17-3, and an exhibit page for the legal description. Also included are a completed example showing how to fill in each field and a detailed instruction guide covering Georgia-specific requirements, beneficiary designation examples, vesting options, the nine-month claim deadline, and execution instructions for situations where both owners cannot sign at the same time.