Jefferson County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Form (Iowa)

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

Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Form

Jefferson County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Jefferson County compliant document last validated/updated 5/27/2025

Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Guide

Jefferson County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Jefferson County compliant document last validated/updated 4/30/2025

Completed Example of the Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant Document

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

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Jefferson County compliant document last validated/updated 6/6/2025

When using these Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Jefferson County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Jefferson County Recorder

Courthouse - 51 W Briggs Ave, Fairfield, Iowa 52556-2820

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

Phone: (641) 472-4331

Local jurisdictions located in Jefferson County include:

  • Batavia
  • Fairfield
  • Libertyville
  • Lockridge
  • Packwood

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the Jefferson County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Jefferson County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Jefferson County?

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

Can the Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Jefferson County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Jefferson County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Jefferson County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Jefferson County Affidavit of Surviving Joint Tenant forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

Transferring Title to Iowa Real Estate after a Joint Tenant Dies

Joint tenancy is a form of ownership where two or more people share title rights to a specific parcel of real property. If one joint tenant dies, his/her portion of property rights transfers to the remaining owners by function of law. If there are multiple surviving co-owners, they each receive an equal share of the rights. Property held in joint tenancy does not pass to the owners' estates in a will. Therefore, it avoids distribution via the probate process.

Iowa Code 558.66 (2013) governs the different requirements for completing the transfer of title rights under joint tenancy. Specifically, the living joint tenant may execute and record an affidavit of surviving joint tenant, which the recorder attaches to the previously recorded deed. An affidavit is a document containing statements, made under oath, which identify the person presenting the material (affiant); the name of the surviving co-owner (often the affiant); details about the deceased owner; the legal description of the property being transferred; recording information from the deed granting joint tenancy; and a request to update the records with the county auditor ( 558.66(3)(b)). In addition, many people include an official copy of the deceased owner's death certificate.

Completing this process is an essential step in preserving a clear chain of title to the property, meaning that there is an unbroken history of owners, which reduces the likelihood of unexpected claims of rights to the real estate. A clear chain of title also makes the property easier to sell or mortgage because title agencies will provide the insurance that is usually required as part of the sale. In addition, because grantors (owners) must sign deeds when property is sold or otherwise conveyed, the recorded affidavit serves as evidence proving why one of the named owners cannot sign the transfer.

Real estate held in joint tenancy is often one aspect of an overall estate plan. Good practice dictates frequent updates of items such as wills, trusts, and other associated documents. As such, executing an affidavit of surviving joint tenant soon after a co-owner dies protects the rights and interests of everyone involved by ensuring that the relevant land records contain the most current information.

Each situation is unique, so for complex issues or with additional questions, please contact a local real estate attorney or other estate planning professional.

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

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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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MARY LACEY M.

June 30th, 2025

Great service! Recording was smooth and swiftly performed. Deeds.com is an excellent service.rn

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Robert F.

June 30th, 2025

Breeze.... It feels silly to hire an attorney to do this for just one beneficiary. Thanks.

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Pauline C.

June 29th, 2025

Everything that was stated to be included in my order was complete. Very satisfied

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December 31st, 2018

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BARRY D.

March 24th, 2024

Could not have been easier. Instructions were clear. Guidelines and example were clearly written. Erecording worked fast and let me skip a dreaded trip downtown to be ignored by government employees who hate their jobs.

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Robert C.

December 24th, 2020

Amazingly easy process and excellent response time - very impressed!

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May 22nd, 2022

Easy to use. Documents as stated.

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DOUGLAS H.

December 16th, 2020

Just as promised
My quitclaim deed went through the county recorders office with no problem.

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March 26th, 2021

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March 27th, 2020

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October 14th, 2020

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Lindsey W.

March 7th, 2019

The service was great but after I did all my work and uploaded the documents they canceled my stuff because the county they had on the list doesnt take/or have set up e-recording yet. It was a bit disappointing because thats the only reason I was on here is because it brought me here from that countys sight.

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October 19th, 2020

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November 1st, 2019

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July 28th, 2022

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