Lyon County Gift Deed Form (Iowa)

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

Gift Deed Form

Lyon County Gift Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Lyon County compliant document last validated/updated 11/7/2024

Gift Deed Guide

Lyon County Gift Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Lyon County compliant document last validated/updated 11/15/2024

Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Lyon County Completed Example of the Gift Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Lyon County compliant document last validated/updated 10/23/2024

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

Lyon County Recorder

Courthouse - 206 S 2nd Ave, Rock Rapids, Iowa 51246

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F

Phone: (712) 472-8528

Local jurisdictions located in Lyon County include:

  • Alvord
  • Doon
  • George
  • Inwood
  • Larchwood
  • Lester
  • Little Rock
  • Rock Rapids

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

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

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

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Lyon 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 Lyon County Gift 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.

Gifts of Real Property in Iowa

Gift deeds convey title to real property from one party to another with no exchange of consideration, monetary or otherwise. Often used to transfer property between family members or to gift property as a charitable act or donation, these conveyances occur during the grantor's lifetime. Gift deeds must contain language that explicitly states that no consideration is expected or required. Ambiguous language, or references to any type of consideration, can make the gift deed contestable in court.

A lawful gift deed includes the grantor's full name and marital status, as well as the grantee's full name, marital status, vesting information, and mailing address. Vesting describes how the grantee holds title to the property. Generally, real property is owned in either sole ownership or co-ownership. For Iowa residential property, the primary methods for holding title are tenancy in common and joint tenancy. An estate conveyed to two or more people who are not married to each other is considered a tenancy in common unless otherwise specified. A conveyance to a married couple vests as joint tenancy with rights of survivorship unless otherwise stated (Iowa Code 557.15).

As with any conveyance of realty, a gift deed requires a complete legal description of the parcel. Recite the source of title to maintain a clear chain of title, and detail any restrictions associated with the property. The deed must be signed by the grantor and acknowledged by an individual authorized to take acknowledgements. All signatures must be original.

In Iowa, most conveyances of real property require a Declaration of Value. Because a gift deed transfers real property from one party to another with no exchange of consideration, however, it is exempt from this requirement (Iowa Code 428A.2(21)). Record the completed gift deed in the recorder's office of the county where the subject property is located. Contact the same office to confirm recording fees and accepted forms of payment.

With gifts of real property, the recipient of the gift (grantee or donee) is not required to declare the amount of the gift as income, but if the property accrues income after the transaction, the grantee is responsible for paying the requisite state and federal income tax [1].

In Iowa, there is no state gift tax, but gifts of real property are subject to the federal gift tax. The person or entity making the gift (grantor or donor) is responsible for paying the federal gift tax; however, if the donor does not pay the gift tax, the donee (grantee) will be held liable [1]. For questions regarding state and federal tax laws, consult a tax specialist.

In accordance with federal law, individuals are permitted an annual exclusion of $15,000 on gifts. This means that gifts valued below $15,000 do not require a federal gift tax return (Form 709). However, if the gift's value could possibly be disputed by the IRS, a donor may benefit from filing a Form 709 [2].

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

[1] http://msuextension.org/publications/FamilyFinancialManagement/MT199105HR.pdf

[2] https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/frequently-asked-questions-on-gift-taxes

(Iowa Gift Deed Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Lyon 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 Lyon County Gift 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

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Thomas G.

November 21st, 2024

Wasn’t what I expected

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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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Nora T.

March 10th, 2023

The forms are easy to fill in but too restricted for editing.

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November 9th, 2022

Very Convenient and easy to use

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January 4th, 2021

The free additional forms that came with the form I ordered were invaluable as well. Worth every penny!

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December 18th, 2020

I found that the product wasn't what I was looking for. But ordering the product was smooth and easy and when I notified them it wasn't the right product for my situation, they promptly refunded my credit card. If looking for docs again, I will try deeds.com again.

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October 22nd, 2020

5stars for prompt and fast! Website needs work. Hard to navigate for first time users and hard to find where to pay. Emails are more clear than the "message center". Not sure what happened to my other documents, lol

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April 22nd, 2023

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April 19th, 2021

Seamless transaction. Was pleased with the additional information that was provided.

Thank you!

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September 30th, 2022

All documents were site specific and up-to-date. Not recorded yet but have high hopes.

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December 18th, 2021

Easy to use and fee is reasonable.

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A. S.

February 27th, 2019

First, I am glad that you gave a blank copy, an example copy, and a 'guide'. It made it much easier to do. Overall I was very happy with your products and organization... however, things got pretty confusing and I have a pretty 'serious' law background in Real Estate and Civil law. With that said, I spent about 10+ hours getting my work done, using the Deed of Trust and Promissory note from you and there were a few problems: First, it would be FANTASTIC if you actually aligned your guide to actually match the Deed or Promissory Note. What I mean is that if the Deed says 'section (E)' then your guide shouldn't be 'randomly' numbered as 1,2,3, for advice/instructions, but should EXACTLY match 'section (E)'. Some places you have to 'hunt' for what you are looking for, and if you did it based on my suggestion, you wouldn't need to 'hunt' and it would avoid confusion. 2nd: This one really 'hurt'... you had something called the 'Deed of Trust Master Form' yet you had basically no information on what it was or how to use it. The only information you had was a small section at the top of the 'Short Form Deed of Trust Guide'. Holy Cow, was that 'section' super confusing. I still don't know if I did it correctly, but your guide says only put a return address on it and leave the rest of the 16 or so page Deed of Trust beneath it blank... and then include your 'Deed of Trust' (I had to assume the short form deed that I had just created) as part of it. I had to assume that I had to print off the entire 17 page or so title page and blank deed. I also had to assume that the promissory note was supposed to be EXHIBIT A or B on the Short Form Deed. It would be great if someone would take a serious look at that short section in your 'Short Form Deed of Trust Guide' and realize that those of us using your products are seriously turning this into a county clerk to file and that most of us, probably already have a property that has an existing Deed... or at least can find one in the county records if necessary... and make sure that you make a distinction between the Deed for the property that already exists, versus the Deed of Trust and Promissory note that we are trying to file. Thanks.

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David H.

March 16th, 2021

Thank You the form is easy to use.

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Sharon G.

December 1st, 2021

I could not be happier with the service afforded by Deeds.com. After having been directed to two other organizations who purportedly performed this service and being told they could not accommodate me, I found Deeds.com. The website is extremely easy to use, the directions are clear and concise. The site updated me regularly as the documents were progressing through the process, and the detailing of costs was great. The turn-around -- which isn't completely in the hands of the site -- was incredibly quick. I'd use this group again without reservation. As a person who'd have to otherwise travel almost five hours to record, this has been heaven-sent!

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