Stephenson County Special Warranty Deed Form (Illinois)

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

Special Warranty Deed Form

Stephenson County Special Warranty Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Stephenson County compliant document last validated/updated 2/23/2024

Special Warranty Deed Guide

Stephenson County Special Warranty Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Stephenson County compliant document last validated/updated 10/3/2024

Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Stephenson County Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Stephenson County compliant document last validated/updated 10/7/2024

When using these Special Warranty Deed forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Stephenson County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Stephenson County Clerk and Recorder

50 West Douglas, Suite 500, Freeport, Illinois 61032

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 Monday through Friday

Phone: (815) 235-8289

Local jurisdictions located in Stephenson County include:

  • Cedarville
  • Dakota
  • Davis
  • Eleroy
  • Freeport
  • German Valley
  • Kent
  • Lena
  • Mc Connell
  • Orangeville
  • Pearl City
  • Ridott
  • Rock City
  • Winslow

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 Stephenson 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 Stephenson County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Stephenson County?

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

Can the Special Warranty 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 Stephenson County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Stephenson County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Illinois or Stephenson 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 Stephenson County Special Warranty 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.

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.

A special warranty deed is a legal document used to transfer, or convey, rights in real property from a grantor (seller) to a grantee (buyer). Also referred to as a limited warranty deed, this type of deed provides significant liability protection for the grantor (seller), and less protection for the grantee (buyer). In a special warranty deed, the grantor only warrants against defects in the title during his or her ownership, and that he or she has an actual right to the title, and is authorized to sell it. Unlike a deed with full warranty, however, it does not guarantee that there are no other claims on the title of the property before the grantor owned the property, nor does it bind the grantor to defend against them. Because of the risk of unknown claims on the title, special warranty deeds are less common than traditional warranty deeds for residential real estate transactions.

A special warranty deed, once acknowledged, should be recorded in the recorder's office in the county where such lands are located. If it is acknowledged in Illinois, acknowledgements may be taken before a notary public, United States commissioner, county clerk, or any court, judge, clerk, or deputy clerk of such court. When they are taken before a notary public or United States commissioner, they must be attested by his or her official seal; and if taken before a judge or clerk of a court, the acknowledgements must be attested by the seal of the court (765 ILCS 5/20).

A lawful deed includes the grantor's full name and marital status, as well as the grantee's full name, marital status, mailing address, and vesting. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. For Illinois residential property, the primary methods for holding title in co-ownership are tenancy in common, joint tenancy and tenancy by entirety. A grant of ownership of real estate to two or more persons creates a tenancy in common, unless a joint tenancy or tenancy by the entirety is specified. (765 ILCS 1005/1, 1005/1c.).

As with any conveyance of real estate, special warranty deeds must comply with all state and local recording standards, including a complete legal description of the parcel. Recite the source of title to establish a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property.

Include all relevant documents, affidavits, forms, and fees with the along with the deed for recording as well. Pursuant to 35 ILCS 200/31-10, documents conveying real property are subject to a documentary transfer tax. An Illinois Real Estate Transfer Declaration is required (35 ILCS 200/31-25), unless an exemption is claimed. See 35 ILCS 200/31-45 for a list of exemptions.

A Notarial Record Form is also required, unless an exemption is claimed. A list of exempt conveyances can be found on page 1 of the Notarial Record Form (5 ILCS 312/3-102). Some Illinois counties require a Plat Act Affidavit of Metes and Bounds pursuant to 765 ILCS 205/1 with all deeds, assuring that the land has not been divided or identifies specific types of division according to the plat act. Contact the local recorder for additional details about supplemental document requirements.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Consult an attorney with questions about special warranty deeds or for any other issues related to the transfer of real property.

(Illinois Special Warranty Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Stephenson 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 Stephenson County Special Warranty 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.

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.

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David T.

September 6th, 2022

This is a great service and terrific value. The form package provided (blank form, example form & set of instructions) was clear and easy to follow. Being able to complete the forms using the computer to insert the needed information saved countless hours. My completed form was accepted by the Clerk & Recorder office without any issue. Well worth the investment

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mary s.

July 30th, 2021

It would help if pages of a document indicated 1 of 3 etc. When I downloaded the TOD guide I got a 4th page though it only showed 3 on the screen.

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Sharon B.

April 3rd, 2024

Downloaded pdf form was difficult to use,/modify and has too much space between sections.

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Joe H.

February 10th, 2020

Very pleased with the service provided. Will use again if the need arises. Thank you

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Richard W.

June 23rd, 2022

My experience so far is quite good. Useful documents.

It would be very helpful if the labels on the files downloaded were in text format, like "Jurat" rather than "1429107022SF21141." It would save me the extra step of providing proper file names.

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Edwin M.

July 2nd, 2021

Good marks from me. Keep up the good work !

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Randy R.

May 16th, 2019

Thank you
So far everything worked great. Got my downloads so I'm off and running. I hope the rest of the paperwork goes this easy.

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edward s.

October 1st, 2020

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August 9th, 2023

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Reply from Staff

Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful review! It's an honor to know that our resources have been valuable to the Kent County Recorder of Deeds. Your feedback is particularly meaningful to us, and we are glad that our white paper contributed to your research on Property Theft. We fully support your vital efforts to combat property theft and deed fraud, and if there's anything else we can assist you with or any further insights you'd like to share, please don't hesitate to reach out. Keep up the outstanding work!

Gail M.

October 27th, 2022

Great website. Once submit payment documents are immediately emailed, easy to print and clear format. Will definitely use again!

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Sharon D.

December 29th, 2018

Very easy to understand forms...

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Suzette D.

February 20th, 2020

easy to use and gave examples!

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