Howard County Certificate of Trust Form (Iowa)

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

Certificate of Trust Form

Howard County Certificate of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Howard County compliant document last validated/updated 6/5/2025

Certificate of Trust Guide

Howard County Certificate of Trust Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Howard County compliant document last validated/updated 5/27/2025

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Howard County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Howard County compliant document last validated/updated 6/26/2025

When using these Certificate of Trust forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Howard County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Howard County Recorder

Howard County Courthouse 137 N. Elm ST., Cresco, Iowa 52136

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm.Monday through Friday

Phone: 563-547-9210

Local jurisdictions located in Howard County include:

  • Chester
  • Cresco
  • Elma
  • Lime Springs
  • Protivin
  • Riceville

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 Howard 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 Howard County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Howard County?

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

Can the Certificate of Trust 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 Howard County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Howard County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Howard 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 Howard County Certificate of Trust 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.

Under Iowa Code 633A.4604, the certification of trust is an official document confirming the terms of a trust as they relate to a specific transaction. Trustees wishing to enter into a transaction in the trust's name may be asked to present a certification of trust to prove the trust's existence and the trustee's authority to enter into the transaction.

A certificate of trust presents the name and date of the trust under which the trustee is acting, as well as the identities of the trust's settlor and trustees. The document provides the name by which the trust will hold title to trust assets, and includes the trust's taxpayer identification number (TIN).

If there is more than one trustee, the certificate identifies who has authority to sign documents relating to the trust and how many co-trustees are required to sign. The document also enumerates the trustee's powers relative to the transaction at hand, and includes the name of any person able to revoke the trust, if applicable. Like other documents affecting real property, the certificate should include the legal description of the subject property.

Finally, the certificate requires statements that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner to cause the representations contained within to be incorrect; that the document is being signed by all acting trustees; and that the certificate is sworn and subscribed to under penalty of perjury before a notary public (Iowa Code 633A.4604(2)).

The statements contained within the certificate may be relied on as if they were fact, but recipients of a certification of trust may request copies of the sections of the trust instrument designating the trustee and conferring the trustee's powers pursuant to Iowa Code 633A.4604(4). A recipient requesting the entire trust document may be liable for damages if a court finds they acted unreasonably in their request (Iowa Code 633A.4604(6)).

Consult a lawyer with questions regarding trust law and certifications of trust, as each situation is unique.

(Iowa Certificate of Trust Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Howard 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 Howard County Certificate of Trust 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 - ( 4562 Reviews )

MARY LACEY M.

June 30th, 2025

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

Reply from Staff

We are delighted to have been of service. Thank you for the positive review!

Robert F.

June 30th, 2025

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

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Pauline C.

June 29th, 2025

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

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your positive words! We’re thrilled to hear about your experience.

Keri C.

June 10th, 2020

It was confusing at first, but the customer service was excellent and fast and I got everything taken care of right away. I'll use Deeds.com even after the recorder's office is open to the public.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Kathleen H.

July 21st, 2020

Very disappointed that the Recording Information section did not state where to get the information required.

Reply from Staff

Sorry to hear that we failed you Kathleen.

CHARLES V.

June 4th, 2019

Legit. Reasonable prices.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Gary H.

October 18th, 2023

The package was very helpful and very easy to use. I saved me a lot of time and eliminated attorneys being involved. I would highly recommend your forms.

Reply from Staff

It was a pleasure serving you. Thank you for the positive feedback!

Robert B.

September 28th, 2021

Excellent service. Unbelievably rapid and detailed responses. Was not happy to have to pay the fee but totally worth it.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Martin T.

January 8th, 2021

The deed I needed was available to me easily. I was able to fill it out with the help of the example deed provided. I am very satisfied with the value received for the price paid.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Debora E.

August 19th, 2020

I was amazed! This company is so incredibly fast! They promised 10 minutes, it was actually less and I had the exact info I was needing! Definitely worth the cost!

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Rocio S.

March 4th, 2019

Great Help - very satisfied with the service - would recomend 100%

Reply from Staff

Thank you for the kind words Rocio. Have a wonderful day!

Lynd P.

January 14th, 2019

Good

Reply from Staff

Thanks Lynd.

Rene S.

December 23rd, 2022

Amazing forms and great value. That may sound like hyperbole talking about legal forms but it's not, you really are getting way more than you pay for here.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Susan Z.

February 1st, 2019

Helpful website. Couldn't use the forms for my situation and area

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback Susan. We don't want you to have to pay for something you didn't use, we've gone ahead and canceled your order and payment. Have a great day!

Lance G.

January 12th, 2021

Fast and dependable service, which is so critical in the real estate business. Excellent experience.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!