How to Do a Quitclaim Deed

By eHow Personal Finance Editor

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A quitclaim deed will remove someone from or add someone to the title to your home or other property. A common occurrence of this would be two people who are married to each other and one spouse gives up any interest in the property in question that the other spouse owns.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

Contracts
Legal Counsellors
Notary Services
Quitclaim Deeds
Paper And Pencils
Writing Pens

Step1

Visit your public library's business reference section. It likely will offer books explaining quitclaim deeds in your state.

Step2

Consider buying a book that explains quitclaim deeds and other legal documents and that contains blank forms. If the book contains a sample quitclaim deed, review it, making sure you can get the information that appears in the sample.

Step3

Obtain the required information, such as a legal description of the property.

Step4

Buy a blank quitclaim deed form at an office-supply store or bookstore.

Step5

Fill out the blank form. Make sure your writing is legible. Avoid spelling errors and factual errors. Erroneous data can invalidate a deed.

Step6

Add someone to the title by listing the person as a grantee. Remember to list the names of all current owners as grantees as well, unless you are planning to remove them from the title.

Step7

Remove someone from the title by omitting the person's name from the list of grantees.

Step8

List all current owners of the property as grantors.

Step9

Arrange to meet the grantors at the office of a notary public, where you will obtain the signatures of the grantors. The notary public must witness the signing.

Step10

Have the document notarized and make photocopies for your files.

Step11

Go to your county's clerk and recorder's office and record the deed. There will be a small charge for recording the quitclaim deed.

Tips & Warnings

Most banks provide notary-public services.
A quitclaim deed is not a guarantee that the seller of the property has clear title. The buyer should do a title search to ensure there are no problems with the title.
If you aren't sure you have done the form correctly, ask a real-estate lawyer to review it for you.

Comments

bncent said

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on 2/23/2008 In our situation my husband purchased the property with his grandparents 6 years ago (prior to our marriage). Grandpa has since passed.
We want to file a Quit Claim Deed to remove grandma from the Deed as well as add me.
2 questions:
1) Can grandpa be removed at the same time with a copy of his death certificate (grandma was the sole heir to his estate)
2) Do we also need to take grandma off the loan? We are happy with the mortgage & don't want/need to re-finance unless absolutely necessary.

cocolegal said

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on 11/9/2007 You do not need an attorney to file a quit claim deed; however, you may want to use one to ensure that your rights are protected and that the deed is adequate.