Cowlitz County Transfer on Death Deed Forms (Washington)

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Form Package

Transfer on Death Deed

State

Washington

Area

Cowlitz County

Price

$27.97

Delivery

Immediate Download

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More info on getting a copy of your existing deed and eRecording.

Included Forms

All Cowlitz County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Transfer on Death Deed Form

Transfer on Death Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included document last reviewed/updated 2/14/2024

Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Transfer on Death Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included document last reviewed/updated 4/3/2024

Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Deed Document

Example of a properly completed Washington Transfer on Death Deed document for reference.
Included document last reviewed/updated 4/10/2024

Frequently Asked Questions:

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Washington or Cowlitz County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Forms are NOT emailed to you. Immediately after you submit payment, the Cowlitz County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be sent to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our Cowlitz County Transfer on Death Deed forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Can the Transfer on Death Deed forms be re-used?

Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Cowlitz County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Cowlitz County.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Cowlitz County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Cowlitz County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Do I have to enter all of my property information online?

No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.

Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?

Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.

Do I need any special software to use these forms?

You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

Areas Covered by These Transfer on Death Deed Forms:

  • Cowlitz County

Including:

  • Ariel
  • Carrolls
  • Castle Rock
  • Cougar
  • Kalama
  • Kelso
  • Longview
  • Ryderwood
  • Silverlake
  • Toutle
  • Woodland

What is the Washington Transfer on Death Deed

Real estate owners in Washington have an estate planning option: the transfer on death deed (TODD). Find the full text in the Revised Statutes of Washington at Chapter 64.80.

This statute is based on the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act (URPTODA). Along with Washington, a growing number of states are choosing to adopt the provisions of the URPTODA. The new law allows landowners to direct the distribution of what is often their most significant asset, their real estate, with a correctly executed and recorded transfer on death deed.

Transfer on death deeds are nontestamentary, which means ownership of the property passes to the beneficiary without instructions in a will or the need for probate (64.80.040). Unnecessary conflicts are likely to add confusion and expense, so best practices dictate that landholders should take care to ensure that their wills and TODDs lead to the same outcomes.

Washington's version of the URPTODA sets out the specific requirements for lawful transfer on death deeds:

- The capacity required to make or revoke a transfer on death deed is the same as the capacity required to make a will (64.80.050, 11.12.010).

- It must contain the essential elements and formalities of a properly recordable inter vivos deed, such as warranty or quitclaim deed (64.80.060(1))

- It must state that the transfer to the designated beneficiary is to occur at the transferor's death (64.80.060(2))

- It must be recorded before the transferor's death in the office of the clerk of the county commission in the county where the property is located (64.80.060(3)).

The named beneficiary gains no present rights to the property, only a potential future interest. Instead, the transferors retain absolute control during their lives. This includes the freedom to sell or transfer it to someone else, and to modify or revoke the intended transfer on death (64.80.090). These details, along with the fact that TODDs only convey the property rights remaining, if any, at the owner's death, explain why they do not require notice or consideration (64.80.070).

According to 64.80.100(1)(a), the beneficiary gains equitable interest in the property ONLY when the owner dies. Note, however, that the beneficiary must be alive at the time of the transferor's death or the interest returns to the estate (64.80.100(1)(b)). To prevent this from happening, the owner may identify one or more contingent beneficiaries. All beneficiaries take title subject to any obligations (contracts, easements, etc.) associated with the property when the transferor dies (according to 64.80.100(2)).

With the new transfer on death deeds, real property owners in Washington have access to a convenient, flexible tool for managing one aspect of a comprehensive estate plan. Even so, a TODD may not be appropriate for everyone. Since each situation is unique, contact an attorney with specific questions or for complex circumstances.

(Washington TODD Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Cowlitz 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 Cowlitz 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.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 (4324 Reviews)

Michael L.

April 25th, 2024

Professional, simple. Very good.

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April 25th, 2024

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Mark E.

April 25th, 2024

This was easy to use and only contained one glaring error-where to send the completed form to finish the process. I’ve completed the form, does this mean I get the amended deed sent to me? I think not.

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Arthur M.

December 8th, 2020

A good service that saves a lot of time and precludes making a trip to the County Assessors Office.
Valuable service.

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May 19th, 2020

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April 24th, 2020

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June 23rd, 2021

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September 8th, 2021

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January 22nd, 2021

Bottom line - it was certainly worth the $21 (+-?) I paid for the form and instructions, etc.
Admittedly the form is a little inflexible in terms of editing for readability but I understand that offering greater flexibility would likely make theft more likely. So I'm happy with what I got. One suggestion - add more info about what's required in the "Source of Title" section.

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July 25th, 2022

I was actually quite pleased with the ease of use of this site. I really, really liked the step by step instructions and examples of the finished product !!

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July 17th, 2023

The forms are just what I needed! Easy to navigate.

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April 16th, 2021

I thought your forms are great. Easy to use with instructions provided.

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Reitman R.

November 15th, 2020

Ordering, payment, and downloads went without a hitch. I appreciated the guide and examples. Than k you for hosting a good, working site.

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Mary H.

January 31st, 2019

Your site was very informative and I was able to instantly and easily download the documents that I needed. I could not be happier with your service. Thank You
Mary Harju

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Robert H.

January 16th, 2019

I have used the quit claim form and seem is very easy.

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