Clayton County Special Warranty Deed Form (Iowa)

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

Special Warranty Deed Form

Clayton County Special Warranty Deed Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Clayton County compliant document last validated/updated 7/4/2024

Special Warranty Deed Guide

Clayton County Special Warranty Deed Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Clayton County compliant document last validated/updated 8/15/2024

Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Clayton County Completed Example of the Special Warranty Deed Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Clayton County compliant document last validated/updated 6/12/2024

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

Clayton County Recorder

Courthouse - 111 High St NE / PO Box 278, Elkader, Iowa 52043-0278

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

Phone: (563) 245-2710

Local jurisdictions located in Clayton County include:

  • Edgewood
  • Elkader
  • Elkport
  • Farmersburg
  • Garber
  • Garnavillo
  • Guttenberg
  • Luana
  • Marquette
  • Mc Gregor
  • Monona
  • North Buena Vista
  • Saint Olaf
  • Strawberry Point
  • Volga

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

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Clayton 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 Clayton County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Clayton County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Iowa or Clayton 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 Clayton 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). This type of deed provides more liability protection for the grantor, and less protection for the buyer. In a special warranty deed, the grantor warrants against defects in the title during his or her ownership, and that he or she is authorized to sell it, but does not guarantee freedom from claims on the title originating before the grantor owned the property. Because of this risk, special warranty deeds are less common for residential real estate transactions. Instead, these types of deeds are typically used for foreclosed bank-owned properties and commercial properties that have changed ownership several times.

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 Iowa residential property, the primary methods for holding title in co-ownership are tenancy in common and joint tenancy. A grant of ownership of real estate to two or more unmarried persons is presumed to create a tenancy in common, unless a joint tenancy is specifically created (Iowa Code 557.15). A transfer to a married couple vests as a joint tenancy, unless otherwise stated (Iowa Code 557.15(3)(a)).

As with any conveyance of real estate, a special warranty deed requires 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. Finally, the deed must meet all state and local standards for recorded documents.

The grantor must sign the completed deed in front of a notary. The acknowledgment (notary section), whether made within the State of Iowa, outside the state, outside the United States, or under federal authority, should comply with the provisions of chapter 9b of the Iowa Statutes. Once acknowledged, file it in the recorder's office in the county where the property is located.

Include all relevant documents, affidavits, forms, and fees along with the deed for recording. Most deeds require a separate Real Estate Transfer Groundwater Hazard Statement (Iowa Code Section 558.69). Consult the local recording office to confirm which supplemental materials are necessary for the specific transaction.

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

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

Our Promise

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

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Scott M.

August 21st, 2024

Complete Package rndon't spend good money for a title co. to do this

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Stephen B.

August 21st, 2024

This was the first time to use the Deeds.com website for preparing my deed document. This was painless and easy to follow the instructions and sample package for filling in the blank boxes document. The city clerk was impressed to review my document and easily filed my deed record without questions. I would recommend anyone to prepare a legal form that is available from the Deeds.com website.

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August 19th, 2024

very easy to use

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February 24th, 2022

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JUDITH-DIAN W.

June 28th, 2023

I didn't have any problem downloading and filling out the form on my computer and printing it yesterday. I didn't know what to put for "Source of Title". I called the county recording office; they didn't know either and said to leave it blank. I got the form notarized at my bank and took it in to the recording office. They checked it, accepted it, I paid a fee, and it's done. So easy. My children will appreciate that I've done this. Added note: You do have one typo on your form--you left out 'at'. It should read: "You should carefully read all information at the end of this form."

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June 10th, 2020

It was confusing at first, but the customer service was excellent and fast and I got everything taken care of right away. I'll use Deeds.com even after the recorder's office is open to the public.

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June 10th, 2019

It turned out that I was able to search for what I needed on the local county website, which is what your site suggested be tried. I was impressed with your honesty and practical instructions for searches your site gave. I'm pretty sure I'll be back.

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June 24th, 2019

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April 24th, 2019

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May 6th, 2019

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Julie K.

September 4th, 2023

The process for obtaining document itself was easy, and the included guide and example are great! rnI do have an issue with the format itself, though. The form has pre-defined text boxes, which cannot be altered without partially rebuilding the entire document. For the 'property description' field on the Mineral Deed form, the text box is not large enough for the rather lengthy legal description entered on my original plat.rnFortunately, I have a copy of Adobe Pro, so I have been able to re-build the doc to accommodate this short-coming.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for taking the time to provide feedback on our legal form. We're pleased to hear that you found the process for obtaining the document and the included guide beneficial.

We understand and appreciate your concern regarding the formatting and size limitations of certain fields, especially the 'property description' field. Our forms are designed to adhere to specific formatting requirements that are often mandated for legal compliance. Making direct alterations to the document can result in them becoming non-conforming, which is why we advise customers to use an exhibit page when their legal description is extensive or does not fit.

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November 5th, 2019

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January 27th, 2024

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February 14th, 2024

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May 9th, 2019

Providing .doc versions would be much easier than trying to jam information into a non-editable PDF.

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