Berrien County Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 Form
Last validated June 25, 2026 by our Forms Development Team
Berrien County Michigan Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Berrien County Certificate of Trust Guidelines
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Berrien County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees
Immediate Download • Secure Checkout
Additional Michigan and Berrien County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Berrien County Register of Deeds
St. Joseph, Michigan 49085
Hours: 8:30 to 5:00 M-F
Phone: (269) 983-7111 Ext. 8562
Recording Tips for Berrien County:
- Ensure all signatures are in blue or black ink
- White-out or correction fluid may cause rejection
- Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
- Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
- Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
Cities and Jurisdictions in Berrien County
Properties in any of these areas use Berrien County forms:
- Baroda
- Benton Harbor
- Berrien Center
- Berrien Springs
- Bridgman
- Buchanan
- Coloma
- Eau Claire
- Galien
- Hagar Shores
- Harbert
- Lakeside
- New Buffalo
- New Troy
- Niles
- Riverside
- Saint Joseph
- Sawyer
- Sodus
- Stevensville
- Three Oaks
- Union Pier
- Watervliet
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Berrien County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Berrien 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 Berrien County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Berrien County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.
Can I reuse these forms?
Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Berrien 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 Berrien County?
Recording fees in Berrien County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (269) 983-7111 Ext. 8562 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
New legislation was signed into law in 2018 that, in essence, consolidated the two types of certificates of trust into one, a (Certificate of Trust) and a (Certificate of Trust Existence and Authority). This Certificate of Trust allows those with an interest in real property the necessary information regarding the Trust to help either fund the Trust or allow real property to be transferred with a clear title. A COT provides pertinent/relevant information needed to satisfy title companies and/or banks. When a Trustee wants to sell real property that is part of a trust, a COT will be required at or before the closing.
Pursuant to the current law, a certificate of trust must include:
The name of the trust, the date of the trust, and the date of each operative trust instrument.
The name and address of each current trustee.
The powers of the trustee relating to the purposes for which the certificate of trust is offered.
The revocability or irrevocability of the trust and the identity of any person holding the power to revoke the trust.
The authority of co-trustees to sign on behalf of the trust or otherwise authenticate on behalf of the trust and whether all or less than all co-trustees are required to exercise the trustee powers.
A statement that the trust has not been revoked, modified or amended in any manner that would cause the representations included in the certificate of trust to be incorrect.
The certificate of trust may be signed or otherwise authenticated by the settlor, any trustee (including a successor trustee), or an attorney for the settlor or the trustee.
700.7913 Certificate of trust.
Sec. 7913.
(1) Instead of furnishing a copy of the trust instrument to a person other than a trust beneficiary, the trustee may furnish to the person a certificate of trust that must include all of the following information:
(a) The name of the trust, the date of the trust, and the date of each operative trust instrument.
(b) The name and address of each current trustee.
(c) The powers of the trustee relating to the purposes for which the certificate of trust is being offered.
(d) The revocability or irrevocability of the trust and the identity of any person holding a power to revoke the trust.
(e) The authority of cotrustees to sign on behalf of the trust or otherwise authenticate on behalf of the trust and whether all or less than all of the cotrustees are required to exercise powers of the trustee.
(2) A certificate of trust may be signed or otherwise authenticated by the settlor, any trustee, or an attorney for the settlor or trustee. The certificate must be in the form of an affidavit.
(3) A certificate of trust must state that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner that would cause the representations included in the certificate of trust to be incorrect.
(4) A certificate of trust need not include the dispositive terms of the trust instrument.
(5) A recipient of a certificate of trust may require the trustee to furnish copies of those excerpts from each trust instrument that designate the trustee and confer on the trustee the power to act in the pending transaction.
(6) A person that acts in reliance on a certificate of trust without knowledge that the representations included in the certificate of trust are incorrect is not liable to any person for so acting and may assume without inquiry the existence of the trust and other facts included in the certificate of trust.
(7) A person that in good faith enters into a transaction in reliance on a certificate of trust may enforce the transaction against the trust property as if the representations included in the certificate of trust were correct.
(8) A person that makes a demand for the trust instrument in addition to a certificate of trust or excerpts of the trust instrument is liable for damages, costs, expenses, and legal fees if the court determines that the person that made the demand did not act pursuant to a legal requirement to demand the trust instrument.
(9) This section does not limit the right of a person to obtain a copy of the trust instrument in a judicial proceeding that concerns the trust.
(Michigan COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example) For use in Michigan only.
Important: Your property must be located in Berrien County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 meets all recording requirements specific to Berrien County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Berrien County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.
Save Time and Money
Get your Berrien County Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 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 - ( 4749 Reviews )
Angela B.
July 22nd, 2020
The site made everything very easy to understand and access. I was able to get everything I needed and the cost was reasonable.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Lynda D S.
November 2nd, 2022
Sorry, I did not see that I was in the wrong review and just sent a review of a "product" I ordered online. As for Deeds.com I was very happy with the process and speed of getting the forms. I have used this site before. Highly recommend.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Tierre J.
January 3rd, 2019
I put in two orders. I did not get any results from either order and I am still waiting for my refunds.
Thank you for your feedback. Sorry we were not able to pull the information you requested. We reviewed your account and the payment voids were processed as your were notified. Sometimes, depending on your financial institution, it can take a few days for the pending charges to fall off of your statement reporting.
Laura H.
August 25th, 2020
I was very impressed with how quickly I was provided the data.
Thank you!
Emily P.
March 25th, 2020
Used the quitclaim form and the erecording service. Very smooth transaction, everything worked as it should.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Melissa S.
June 26th, 2026
As a person working in the title industry, I recommend this site to everyone needing a blank deed. Thank you for staying user friendly.
Thank you, Melissa! An endorsement from someone who works with these transactions every day carries real weight with us. We work hard to keep the whole process painless, so it's wonderful to hear it's landing that way. All the best to you!
Steve D.
January 25th, 2020
I requested a property detail report on two houses that I own. The requests were easy to make. After submitting the requests, each report was available for my review within 15 minutes. The reports contained all the information I needed. I am very satisfied with this service.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Karen C.
July 28th, 2022
Easily find and print forms necessary for peace of mind.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Zunika B.
December 18th, 2020
Was quick and easy compared to visiting downtown where the recorders office is closed or just the thought of mailing important documents and waiting until someone hopefully reaches back out to you. All responses were timely and process was easy. No complaints.
Thank you!
Dorothy S.
November 11th, 2020
Great service and documents that solved my legal issues I was frustrated with my inability to safe my information on the template and add an extra field box. Please make those instructions more clear for future customers.
Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!
Evelyn L.
June 30th, 2021
very easy to print
Thank you!
LINDA S.
November 11th, 2020
One thing I would suggest that could be changed is the last page because we have a trust and I had to retype that page to include the trust and both trustee's signatures.
Thank you!
Tamara R.
May 2nd, 2021
Easy to use and clear instructions.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!
Corinne S.
December 3rd, 2019
Did not need power to "serve" contractor. All work done well, paid for, nothing more. Worth noting when things could go awry!
Thank you!
Chad S.
April 1st, 2019
GREAT SERVICE. A MUST HAVE FOR EVERY REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION!!THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING SUCH A CONVIENIENT EASY TO UNDERSTAND SERVICE.
We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!