Pennsylvania Trustee Deed

Title 20, Chapter 77 of the Pennsylvania Statutes governs trusts in the State of Pennsylvania.

A trust is a wealth management tool commonly used in estate planning. There are three main parties to a trust: the settlor, who funds the trust by conveying assets into it; the trustee, who administers the trust and controls its assets; and the beneficiary, who has a present or future interest in the trust (P.S. 7703). Note that a sole trustee cannot also be the sole beneficiary (P.S. 7732(a)(5)).

Under a trust, the acting trustee manages the trust as directed by the settlor. This arrangement works, in part, because the trustee holds what amounts to a proxy title to the trust's assets. If the trust contains real property that the settlor wishes to sell, the trustee executes and records a document called a trustee's deed to transfer the title to the grantee/buyer -- the settlor is not identified in the transaction.

In most cases, trustee's deeds are modified quitclaim or special warranty deeds. Quitclaim deeds contain no warranties of title, and special warranty deeds only offer the grantee protection against title claims originating while grantor controlled the property. Generally, a trustee uses a quitclaim deed if the settlor and grantee are close relatives (spouses, parent to child, etc.). A trustee of a living trust might also use a quitclaim deed to transfer property out of the trust and to himself as an individual. Third-party purchasers might require a special warranty deed in order to obtain a mortgage or title insurance.

Besides fulfilling the requirements for all instruments affecting real property in the State of Pennsylvania (tax parcel number, legal description, prior deed information, certificate of residence, and so on), the trustee's deed names the trustee as the grantor and gives the date and the name of the trust under which the trustee is acting. A certificate of trust is sometimes included to verify the trust's existence and the trustee's authority to act on behalf of the trust. As with other instruments, the deed must be signed and acknowledged in the presence of a notary, then recorded in the county where the property is situated.

Trust law can be thorny, and each situation is unique. Consult an attorney with specific questions or for complicated circumstances.

Deeds.com Pennsylvania Trustee Deed Forms Have Been Updated as Recently as Tuesday November 10, 2020

4.8 out of 5 (2103 Reviews)

What others like you are saying:

Theresa T. said: Great source easy to use.

Reply from Staff: We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

sheila m. said: Very happy with the forms. Ease of use and price were points for high marks.

Reply from Staff: We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

John G. said: Very straightforward ordering process to obtain the forms I needed. Thank you.

Reply from Staff: Thank you!

harriet l. said: Worked very smoothly and got the job done

Reply from Staff: Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Gisela A. said: Great selection of documents. Properly formatted form also included great instructions and the example was very helpful. Filed it myself - no problem!

Reply from Staff: We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Catherine B. said: Trying to get a hold of someone in the office is very difficult. This made it so much easier, thank you!

Reply from Staff: Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!