Borden County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Form

Last validated August 27, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Borden County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Form

Borden County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Form

Fill in the blank Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) form formatted to comply with all Texas recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 7/18/2026
Borden County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Guide

Borden County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) form.

Document Last Validated 8/27/2026
Borden County Completed Example of the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Document

Borden County Completed Example of the Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) Document

Example of a properly completed Texas Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) document for reference.

Document Last Validated 8/25/2026

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Borden County Clerk

Address:
117 E Wasson / PO Box 124
Gail, Texas 79738

Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 12:00 & 1:00 - 5:00pm

Phone: (806) 756-4312

Recording Tips for Borden County:
  • Check that your notary's commission hasn't expired
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned
  • Make copies of your documents before recording - keep originals safe
  • Recording fees may differ from what's posted online - verify current rates
  • Recording early in the week helps ensure same-week processing

Cities and Jurisdictions in Borden County

Properties in any of these areas use Borden County forms:

  • Gail

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Borden County

How do I get my forms?

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

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

Recording fees in Borden County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (806) 756-4312 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

The Texas lady bird deed occupies an unusual place in Texas conveyancing: no statute creates it and no official form exists, yet it has been a fixture of Texas estate and elder law practice for decades, resting on common law, the general deed statutes, and settled title practice. This form prepares a lady bird deed for two married grantors who hold Texas real property as community property, the default for property acquired during a Texas marriage.

A Conveyance That Gives Up Nothing During Life

The deed works by splitting the title. The grantors convey a remainder interest to the grantees named in the deed, and in the same instrument reserve an enhanced life estate: full possession, use, rents, and income for life, plus the powers that make the life estate enhanced. The grantors keep the power to sell, mortgage, lease, or give away the property without the consent or even knowledge of any grantee, keep all proceeds, and may cancel or revoke the deed by recorded instrument. A traditional life estate deed surrenders those powers to the remainderman; the lady bird deed refuses to.

Built for Community Property and the Second Death

This version of the deed is drafted around the marriage. Both spouses sign as grantors, satisfying the homestead joinder rule of Family Code Section 5.001 on the face of the instrument, and the deed reserves the enhanced life estate to both spouses and to the survivor of them. At the first death nothing is filed or proved: the surviving spouse holds the entire life estate and every retained power alone, including the power to sell or revoke. Only at the second death does the remainder vest in possession, in the grantees who survive that death, entirely outside probate.

Why Elder Law Practice Reaches for This Deed

Texas limits Medicaid estate recovery to the probate estate, and property that passes under a recorded lady bird deed never enters it. State Bar commentary and the state Medicaid handbook both recognize the enhanced life estate deed in this role, including an exception to the transfer-penalty rules for a home conveyed this way. The grantors' retained ownership also preserves the property tax homestead exemption, and practice commentary treats the arrangement as an incomplete gift with a stepped-up basis at death. The guide describes this landscape along with the deed's real limits: no title warranty, no protection from the grantors' own creditors, and a possible due-on-sale issue under an existing mortgage.

Lady Bird Deed or Transfer on Death Deed

Texas offers a statutory cousin, the transfer on death deed under Estates Code Chapter 114, and Section 114.004 expressly preserves the common-law deed alongside it. The statutory deed transfers nothing until death and cannot be created through a power of attorney; the lady bird deed conveys a present remainder and rests on general agency law. The Texas Transfer on Death Deed products document the statutory route; this form documents the common-law one.

The download includes the blank deed as a fillable PDF, a completed example for a realistic Hays County fact pattern, and a plain-language guide covering every section, signing, and recording. The materials are informational and are not legal advice; a Texas attorney can apply these rules to a specific title or benefits situation.

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

This Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) meets all recording requirements specific to Borden County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Borden 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 Borden County Enhanced Life Estate Deed (Lady Bird Deed) (Community Property Grantors) 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 - ( 4780 Reviews )

John M.

August 18th, 2022

I ordered my gift deed forms one evening, filled them out the next day, and registered them with the register of deeds the next morning. Boom. Done! Easy peasy, no lawyer expense!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Thomas A.

February 25th, 2021

Deeds.com is an easy-to-use resource for the busy real estate practitioner .

Reply from Staff

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

Donald P.

March 9th, 2021

I wish the quick claim dead would have had letterhead that said, State South Carolina.

Reply from Staff

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

Bohdan F.

June 23rd, 2023

Quick, efficient and the instructions were clear. Thank you

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Jill S.

June 27th, 2023

This was highly convenient and successful.

Reply from Staff

Glad to hear we could help Jill, thanks for the kind words!!

Daniel A.

April 25th, 2022

First time using Deeds.com. Downloaded the PDF forms for creating an Illinois Mortgage and Promissory Note. Filled them out, saved them, and printed them out. Going to send them to my Title Company for closing on a property. Save a bunch of money on not have to pay lawyer fees for creating the same legal documents that Deeds.com provided.

Reply from Staff

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

Edwart D.

November 30th, 2021

I tend to not pay attention to the details and then blame other people. Thankfully Deeds.com has my back when I make silly mistakes.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Reed W.

May 19th, 2022

Thanks

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Daren R.

March 4th, 2023

I believe that you should wait until a pending file is completed before asking for feedback. Thank you. Daren

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Jared D.

April 29th, 2020

Yes it was awsome experience,thank you

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Jerry E.

January 21st, 2022

7 stars!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Kathleen C.

February 25th, 2026

Very user friendly website and service.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your review and your business. Thank you.

Kerrin S.

April 11th, 2020

Wow, this was so easy & helpful. I didn't get it finished in time for recording, so I'm still waiting on that part, but the rest was simple and straight-forward. Thanks!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Anita H.

April 2nd, 2025

Easy way to get forms that I needed. Would buy again from you if needed.

Reply from Staff

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

Michael F.

May 15th, 2020

VERY EFFICIENT AND PLEASANT.

Reply from Staff

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