Tompkins County Memorandum of Trust Form

Last validated July 17, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Tompkins County Memorandum of Trust Form

Tompkins County Memorandum of Trust Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/14/2026
Tompkins County Completed Example of the Memorandum of Trust

Tompkins County Completed Example of the Memorandum of Trust

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/17/2026

All 2 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Tompkins County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Tompkins County Clerk

Address:
320 N. Tioga St
Ithaca, New York 14850

Hours: Monday-Friday: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

Phone: (607) 274-5431

Recording Tips for Tompkins County:
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Ask about their eRecording option for future transactions
  • Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
  • Avoid the last business day of the month when possible
  • Ask for certified copies if you need them for other transactions

Cities and Jurisdictions in Tompkins County

Properties in any of these areas use Tompkins County forms:

  • Brooktondale
  • Dryden
  • Etna
  • Freeville
  • Groton
  • Ithaca
  • Jacksonville
  • Lansing
  • Mc Lean
  • Newfield
  • Slaterville Springs
  • Trumansburg

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Tompkins County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Tompkins 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 Tompkins County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Tompkins 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 Tompkins 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 Tompkins County?

Recording fees in Tompkins County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (607) 274-5431 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Using a New York Memorandum of Trust

In New York, trustees of personal trusts use a memorandum of trust to certify the existence of a trust and their authority to act on behalf of the trust. The memorandum is used in place of the actual trust document and provides only essential information about the trust for lending institutions or other third parties. In this way, information that may be personal in nature, such as the designated beneficiaries under the trust, is kept confidential.

The memorandum is executed and signed by the grantor of the trust under the trust instrument, as well as the trust's formal name and date of origination. It identifies the trustee and any successor trustees with power to act on behalf of the trust.

The difference between a declaration of trust and a trust agreement, as designated in the memorandum of trust document, is the grantor's relationship to the trustee. If the trustee and the grantor are the same person and the grantor controls trust assets, the trust falls under a declaration of trust. If the grantor and the trustee are separate people and the trustee controls the trust assets, trust is under a trust agreement [1].

The distinction between a declaration of trust and a trust agreement also affects the name by which the trust takes title to real property as a grantee. In the following example, "John Doe," under a declaration of trust, serves as both grantor and trustee: "John Doe, trustee under declaration of trust dated mm/dd/yyyy." Under a trust agreement, the grantor name is included as well: "John Doe under agreement with Robert Grantor dated mm/dd/yyyy" [1].

All recorded documents relating to real property in the State of New York are required to include a physical description of the property, as well as the section, lot, block, and unit numbers.

[1] https://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/planning/plan_estate_trustsq_a.pdf

(New York MOT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Important: Your property must be located in Tompkins County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Memorandum of Trust meets all recording requirements specific to Tompkins County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Tompkins 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 Tompkins County Memorandum 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 - ( 4763 Reviews )

Rosa Leticia A.

March 1st, 2022

Outstanding service, quick and efficient. Provides promptly updates of the process, highly recommended.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

JAMES S.

November 6th, 2022

Saved me 1-2 hours' time dictating. Will use again.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

W J C.

July 11th, 2019

Good documents. Very helpful.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Joshua P.

July 27th, 2022

Easy fill in the blanks form. Just FYI make sure you have a copy of whatever deed you are changing and the tax records. You will want the language to be identical.

Reply from Staff

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

FRANCIS P.

July 17th, 2022

Finding what I needed was easy. The payment process was easy. Using what I found was easy. Easy-peasy and GREAT results. Professional and succinct all for the price of a steak dinner. I'll be back to DEEDS.COM when I need any paperwork/forms related to deeds.

Reply from Staff

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

Nancy E.

May 4th, 2025

Took me awhile to figure out and get the information printed so I can use it later. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Your insights are invaluable to us and help us strive for better service. Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

marion v.

March 26th, 2023

Phenomenal website !

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Maria M.

September 27th, 2023

The requested documents I needed were provided and also complete instructions on how to fill them out. I definitely will you this service again.

Reply from Staff

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

Patricia G.

January 19th, 2021

Oh my goodness! Y'all are an answer to prayers! You provided all the forms necessary in one convenient packet, and at a VERY reasonable price! I can't thank y'all enough for helping my family & myself with what could've been a difficult and expensive situation! God bless you for your time and talent!

Reply from Staff

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

James D.

April 24th, 2019

It was very easy to set up the account but then everything is very costly. I didn't see any publications that were free to account holders, so as infrequently I have to do a title search, I may as well just hire an online service to do the legwork too.

Reply from Staff

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

Wayne A.

June 10th, 2021

good service but pricey.

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.

Caroline K.

August 16th, 2019

SIMPLE, THAT IS GOOD

Reply from Staff

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

Gwen N.

September 16th, 2021

Easy to use

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

George R.

September 29th, 2021

Your website worked but I am waiting for answers for two questions.

Reply from Staff

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