Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed Form

Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Stearns County Transfer on Death Deed Guide
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Stearns County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed 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 Minnesota and Stearns County documents included at no extra charge:
Where to Record Your Documents
Service Center, Room 2203
Waite Park, Minnesota 56387
Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F
Phone: (320) 656-3855
Recording Tips for Stearns County:
- Double-check legal descriptions match your existing deed
- Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
- Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
- Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs
- Bring extra funds - fees can vary by document type and page count
Cities and Jurisdictions in Stearns County
Properties in any of these areas use Stearns County forms:
- Albany
- Avon
- Belgrade
- Brooten
- Cold Spring
- Collegeville
- Elrosa
- Freeport
- Greenwald
- Holdingford
- Kimball
- Melrose
- New Munich
- Paynesville
- Richmond
- Rockville
- Roscoe
- Saint Cloud
- Saint Joseph
- Saint Martin
- Saint Stephen
- Sartell
- Sauk Centre
- Waite Park
Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Stearns County
How do I get my forms?
Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Stearns 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 Stearns County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Stearns 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 Stearns 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 Stearns County?
Recording fees in Stearns County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (320) 656-3855 for current fees.
Questions answered? Let's get started!
Minnesota's transfer on death deeds are governed by Minn. Stat. 507.071.
Transfer on death deeds are useful estate planning tools for owners of Minnesota real estate. In most cases, when a land owner dies, his/her real property enters the probate system along with the rest of the estate. Some people avoid probate by owning property as joint tenants. The nature of joint tenancy includes the right of survivorship, which, by function of law, automatically distributes a deceased joint tenant's title rights to the surviving tenants. Joint tenants, however, share a current interest in the real property, and all owners must execute any changes or reconveyances. By executing and recording a transfer on death deed instead, owners still avoid the need for probate distribution of that portion of their assets. Transfer on death deeds do NOT pass a current or future interest in the property, so the owner's interests are fully protected while he/she remains alive.
Unlike most other real estate deeds, transfer on death deeds do not convey any rights or interests to the beneficiaries until the grantor owner's death. But, under Minn. Stat. 524.2-702, named beneficiaries must outlive the grantor owners by at least 120 hours to become eligible for the property. The owner retains absolute title to and control over the real property until death. He/she may rent, use, sell or reconvey the land at will, and with no obligation to the beneficiary (Minn. Stat. 507.071, subd. 10). As a result, the beneficiary has no guarantee of any present or future interest in the property. In addition, a "transfer on death deed that is executed, acknowledged, and recorded in accordance with this section is not revoked by the provisions of a will" (subd. 19).
Transfer on death deeds allow flexibility -- in addition to individuals, the grantor owner may "transfer an interest in real property to the trustee of an inter vivos trust even if the trust is revocable, to the trustee of a testamentary trust or to any other entity legally qualified to hold title to real property under the laws of this state" (subd. 9).
Under Minn. Stat. 507.071, transfer on death deeds must:
- convey or assign an interest in real property (subd. 2)
- name one or more grantee beneficiaries (subds. 2 and 4)
- explicitly state that it takes effect at the death of the named grantor owner(s)
- comply with other Minnesota deed requirements including joinder of spouse in conveying homestead (507.02, subd. 2)
- standard recording requirements regarding legibility, recordability, notarization, and original signature (507.24)
- Notice recording statutes (507.34, 508.48, 508A.48)
Ultimately, transfer on death deeds offer a useful alternative for Minnesota land owners who wish to pass property to specific beneficiaries without probate intervention.
NOTE: All actions related to executing, revoking, or otherwise changing a Minnesota transfer on death deed must be submitted for recording in the county where at least part of the land is located, while the grantor owner is alive. (507.071, subd. 8).
Important terms:
Grantor owner: "means an owner named as a grantor in a transfer on death deed upon whose death the conveyance or transfer of the described real property is conditioned" (subd. 1c).
Owner: "means a person having an ownership or other interest in all or part of the real property to be conveyed or transferred by a transfer on death deed" (subd. 1d).
Beneficiary or grantee beneficiary: "means a person or entity named as a grantee beneficiary in a transfer on death deed, including a successor grantee beneficiary" (subd. 1a).
(Minnesota TOD Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)
Important: Your property must be located in Stearns County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.
This Transfer on Death Deed meets all recording requirements specific to Stearns County.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Stearns 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 Stearns County Transfer on Death 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 - ( 4581 Reviews )
Jeffrey G.
April 21st, 2021
The documents requested were perfect! Very helpful, with instructions on how to complete and submit and unique to the county. They provided additional helpful documents that I would not have thought to ask for. Great job!
Thank you!
Dapo L.
June 3rd, 2021
The team is very responsive and gets the job done. Thank you.
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Dean L.
October 29th, 2019
The template isn't that easy to work with, with you have to type out large amounts of text. Also copy and paste doesn't seem to work. Furthermore, the code listed on the guide is out of date. However, the DQC is decent in that it has all the required fields you need.
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Cindy H.
January 16th, 2021
It was easy and quick. Such a pleasure to use since we live out of town. So convenient. Definitely would recommend.
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Terrell W.
January 27th, 2021
Was a little hard to find the form but once I did everything worked well
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William P.
October 31st, 2019
I was very pleased with the end results regarding Quitclaim deeds.
Thank you!
Vickie M.
April 24th, 2022
The website was easy to use even for me with little computer knowledge.
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Julie G.
November 30th, 2020
Great online tool to get your deeds recorded without having to go downtown! Will be using deeds.com for all our future recordings!
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Jennifer C.
January 8th, 2021
Fast turnaround. Very much appreciated!
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Westcliffe C.
November 3rd, 2022
Like the setup Good idea on forms that help at a great price
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Kathy Ann M.
June 26th, 2020
Got the report. However, Retrieving process was not clear.
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Kasie K.
May 15th, 2020
This was such an easy transaction and quicker than if I went to the recording office. During this time of COVID19 and not being able to record documents in person it helped us to get what we needed and quickly. Thank you!
Thank you!
Anne H.
July 25th, 2024
After some initial general confusion -- (we sold a small piece of land privately and therefore do not typically prepare such documentation (!)) -- we were able to purchase and download all forms from Deeds.com and understand how to complete it/them. The help is all there, we just needed to read and study it - the "Example" helped alot. We were able to complete the Document per your online form(s) and then take it to be signed/notarized - and take the completed paper document to the Registry -- and it is now all registered and we are All Set. Took the morning (only). THANK YOU. A wonderful tool!!
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catheirne o.
January 10th, 2019
Easy to use!
Thank you!
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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