Berrien County Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 Form (Michigan)

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

Michigan Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 Form

Berrien County Michigan Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Berrien County compliant document last validated/updated 10/24/2024

Certificate of Trust Guidelines

Berrien County Certificate of Trust Guidelines

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Berrien County compliant document last validated/updated 10/11/2024

Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Berrien County Completed Example of the Certificate of Trust Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Berrien County compliant document last validated/updated 10/1/2024

When using these Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Berrien County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

Berrien County Register of Deeds

701 Main St, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085

Hours: 8:30 to 5:00 M-F

Phone: (269) 983-7111 Ext. 8562

Local jurisdictions located in Berrien County include:

  • Baroda
  • Benton Harbor
  • Berrien Center
  • Berrien Springs
  • Bridgman
  • Buchanan
  • Coloma
  • Eau Claire
  • Galien
  • Hagar Shores
  • Harbert
  • Lakeside
  • New Buffalo
  • New Troy
  • Niles
  • Riverside
  • Saint Joseph
  • Sawyer
  • Sodus
  • Stevensville
  • Three Oaks
  • Union Pier
  • Watervliet

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

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

Can the Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 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 Berrien County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Berrien County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Michigan or Berrien 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 Berrien County Certificate of Trust MCL 700.7913 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.

New legislation was signed into law in 2018 that, in essence, consolidated the two types of certificates of trust into one, a (Certificate of Trust) and a (Certificate of Trust Existence and Authority). This Certificate of Trust allows those with an interest in real property the necessary information regarding the Trust to help either fund the Trust or allow real property to be transferred with a clear title. A COT provides pertinent/relevant information needed to satisfy title companies and/or banks. When a Trustee wants to sell real property that is part of a trust, a COT will be required at or before the closing.

Pursuant to the current law, a certificate of trust must include:
The name of the trust, the date of the trust, and the date of each operative trust instrument.
The name and address of each current trustee.
The powers of the trustee relating to the purposes for which the certificate of trust is offered.
The revocability or irrevocability of the trust and the identity of any person holding the power to revoke the trust.
The authority of co-trustees to sign on behalf of the trust or otherwise authenticate on behalf of the trust and whether all or less than all co-trustees are required to exercise the trustee powers.
A statement that the trust has not been revoked, modified or amended in any manner that would cause the representations included in the certificate of trust to be incorrect.
The certificate of trust may be signed or otherwise authenticated by the settlor, any trustee (including a successor trustee), or an attorney for the settlor or the trustee.

700.7913 Certificate of trust.
Sec. 7913.
(1) Instead of furnishing a copy of the trust instrument to a person other than a trust beneficiary, the trustee may furnish to the person a certificate of trust that must include all of the following information:
(a) The name of the trust, the date of the trust, and the date of each operative trust instrument.
(b) The name and address of each current trustee.
(c) The powers of the trustee relating to the purposes for which the certificate of trust is being offered.
(d) The revocability or irrevocability of the trust and the identity of any person holding a power to revoke the trust.
(e) The authority of cotrustees to sign on behalf of the trust or otherwise authenticate on behalf of the trust and whether all or less than all of the cotrustees are required to exercise powers of the trustee.
(2) A certificate of trust may be signed or otherwise authenticated by the settlor, any trustee, or an attorney for the settlor or trustee. The certificate must be in the form of an affidavit.
(3) A certificate of trust must state that the trust has not been revoked, modified, or amended in any manner that would cause the representations included in the certificate of trust to be incorrect.
(4) A certificate of trust need not include the dispositive terms of the trust instrument.
(5) A recipient of a certificate of trust may require the trustee to furnish copies of those excerpts from each trust instrument that designate the trustee and confer on the trustee the power to act in the pending transaction.
(6) A person that acts in reliance on a certificate of trust without knowledge that the representations included in the certificate of trust are incorrect is not liable to any person for so acting and may assume without inquiry the existence of the trust and other facts included in the certificate of trust.
(7) A person that in good faith enters into a transaction in reliance on a certificate of trust may enforce the transaction against the trust property as if the representations included in the certificate of trust were correct.
(8) A person that makes a demand for the trust instrument in addition to a certificate of trust or excerpts of the trust instrument is liable for damages, costs, expenses, and legal fees if the court determines that the person that made the demand did not act pursuant to a legal requirement to demand the trust instrument.
(9) This section does not limit the right of a person to obtain a copy of the trust instrument in a judicial proceeding that concerns the trust.

(Michigan COT Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example) For use in Michigan only.


Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Berrien County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

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