San Benito County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form (California)

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

Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

San Benito County Transfer on Death Affidavit Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included San Benito County compliant document last validated/updated 11/14/2024

Transfer on Death Affidavit Guide

San Benito County Transfer on Death Affidavit Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included San Benito County compliant document last validated/updated 9/30/2024

Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Affidavit Document

San Benito County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Affidavit Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included San Benito County compliant document last validated/updated 9/3/2024

When using these Transfer on Death Affidavit forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in San Benito County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

County Clerk - Auditor - Recorder

440 5th St, Rm 206, Hollister, California 95023-3843

Hours: 8:00 to 5:00 M-F / Recording: 9:15 to 4:00

Phone: (831) 636-4046

Local jurisdictions located in San Benito County include:

  • Hollister
  • Paicines
  • San Juan Bautista
  • Tres Pinos

How long does it take to get my forms?

Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.

How do I get my forms, are they emailed?

Immediately after you submit payment, the San Benito 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 provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.

What does "validated/updated" mean?

This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:

  • Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
  • Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in San Benito County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in San Benito County?

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

Can the Transfer on Death Affidavit 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 San Benito County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in San Benito County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by California or San Benito 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.

What type of files are the forms?

All of our San Benito County Transfer on Death Affidavit 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.

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.

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.

Are there any recurring fees involved?

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

Using an Affidavit of Death to Claim Real Estate from a California Transfer on Death Deed

Transfer on death deeds allow individual landowners to transfer their real estate when they die, without a will or the need for probate distribution. The transferor simply executes a TODD form, then records it during the course of his/her natural life, and within 60 days of the signing date (5626(a)). Unlike grant deeds or quitclaim deeds, the owner continues to hold title to the property when a transfer on death deed is recorded (5650). As such, TODDs are exempt from transfer taxes and the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report (PCOR).

What happens, then, when the owner dies? Section 5680 defines the process for switching the title over to the beneficiary. The beneficiary may establish the fact of the transferor's death under the procedure provided in California Probate Code Chapter 2 (commencing with Section 210) of Part 4 of Division 2. The first step is obtaining a certified copy of the death certificate. Then research the recording information from the transfer on death deed identifying the beneficiary. Complete an affidavit of death and sign it in front of a notary. Finally, file the affidavit, along with the copy of the death certificate, in the recording office for the county where the property is situated. Note that this act transfers title to the beneficiary, so it also requires the PCOR and any associated taxes and fees.

Beneficiaries take title to the property under the rules set out at section 5652. Be aware that any associated debts, obligations, or agreements in place when the owner died follow the real estate to the beneficiaries. In addition, the title transfers without warranty, so the beneficiaries might find themselves liable for future claims against the property. For these reasons, among others, some beneficiaries might wish to disclaim the gift (5652(a)(1)).

In general, transferring title to the beneficiary of a transfer on death deed is a simple process. Even so, complications may arise. Contact an attorney for complex situations or with any questions.

(California Transfer on Death Affidavit Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the San Benito 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 San Benito County Transfer on Death Affidavit 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 - ( 4434 Reviews )

James S.

November 21st, 2024

Forms used, created quitclaim deed that the county accepted without a second look (turns out they see deeds.com forms regularly via erecording and in person). Will be back for any real estate related forms I need and they carry. Will always be my first stop. Also, will use erecording next time, mad I didn't see it this time.

Reply from Staff

Thanks for the kind words James, glad we could help. Look forward to seeing you again.

Thomas G.

November 21st, 2024

Wasn’t what I expected

Reply from Staff

Sorry to hear that your expectations were missed. Your order has been canceled. We do hope that you find something more suitable to your expectations elsewhere. Do keep in mind that purchasing legal forms should not be an exploratory endeavor.

Jimmy P.

November 20th, 2024

They sent me everything I would need to do this. Easy purchase -Easy download. Great!! I'll be back here for all my document needs.

Reply from Staff

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

Stacey S.

January 27th, 2022

The system was easy to use and download my documents but the way the packages are set up it was confusing and I wish there was a way to delete an item from a package if you make a mistake.

Reply from Staff

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

Charles R.

December 18th, 2018

No review provided.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your review. Have a fantastic day!

Susan A.

April 23rd, 2021

The warranty deed form, the explanation and the example were well worth the price, as they gave me more confidence I was filling the deed out correctly. I cross referenced all of it with the county registrars website and the previous warranty deed.

Reply from Staff

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

ROBERT H.

September 13th, 2020

Quick and easy. A very good value even without COVID complications. Since we DO have COVID complications this is perfect.

Reply from Staff

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

Louise D.

October 21st, 2022

It was easy to complete the form and I appreciated the sample form.

Reply from Staff

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

Bette B.

November 2nd, 2021

Got Form I needed with detailed instructions and it was inexpensive

Reply from Staff

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

Sander G.

December 4th, 2019

Good but knocked off a star because the download file names are mostly numbers instead of recognizable names of the file contents (e.g., Promissory_Note_blank.pdf). Renaming would be a great help!

Reply from Staff

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

Michael L.

September 5th, 2020

Pretty good stuff, not exactly clear on the deed transfer costs and all

Reply from Staff

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

Nancy C.

August 2nd, 2019

So easy and documents downloaded in a flash. Highly recommended. Just gotta fill out and submit done. Thank You

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Sara R.

July 24th, 2020

The deed is presently at the auditors office and will be recorded after approval from zoning board. As far as I know, everything is going along well. A self addressed envelope was left at recorder's office for return after recording is complete.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

deborah k.

April 7th, 2022

was very easy to fill out the directions were very helpful

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Gladys B.

January 23rd, 2019

Good and fast service. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

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