Cuyahoga County Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit Form (Ohio)

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

Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit

Cuyahoga County Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Cuyahoga County compliant document last validated/updated 8/13/2024

Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit Guide

Cuyahoga County Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit Guide

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

Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit Document

Cuyahoga County Completed Example of the Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Cuyahoga County compliant document last validated/updated 9/16/2024

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

Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office: Transfer and Recording Department

2079 E 9th St, #4-100, Cleveland, Ohio 44115

Hours: 8:30 to 4:30 M-F

Phone: 216-443-7020

Local jurisdictions located in Cuyahoga County include:

  • Bay Village
  • Beachwood
  • Bedford
  • Berea
  • Brecksville
  • Broadview Heights
  • Brook Park
  • Chagrin Falls
  • Cleveland
  • Euclid
  • Gates Mills
  • Independence
  • Lakewood
  • Maple Heights
  • North Olmsted
  • North Royalton
  • Olmsted Falls
  • Rocky River
  • Solon
  • Strongsville
  • Westlake

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

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

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

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Ohio or Cuyahoga 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 Cuyahoga County Transfer on Death Designation 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.

Authorized under section 5302.22 of the Ohio Revised Code, the Transfer on Death Designation Affidavit (TDDA) allows owners of real estate situated in Ohio to plan the conveyance of their property to designated beneficiaries after their death. The conveyance occurs separately from a will and without the need for probate. These instruments are known in other states as transfer on death deeds, beneficiary deeds, or Lady Bird deeds, and all fall under the heading of Non-probate Transfers on Death.

TDDAs are useful estate planning tools, because unlike "regular" deeds (warranty, grant, quitclaim, etc.), which permanently transfer the owner's interest in the property, the grantor retains full ownership and control of the property while alive, and may change the beneficiaries, modify the terms, or even sell the property with no restriction or penalty. This flexibility is possible because the grantor accepts no consideration from any of the beneficiaries.

In addition to meeting all state and local standards for recorded documents, TDDAs must include a statement by "the individual executing the affidavit that the individual is the person appearing on the record of the real property as the owner of the real property or interest in the real property at the time of the recording of the affidavit and the marital status of that owner." Married owners must include a statement by "the owner's spouse stating that the spouse's dower rights are subordinate to the vesting of title to the real property or interest in the real property in the transfer on death beneficiary or beneficiaries designated in the affidavit" (RC 5302.22(D)(3)). It must also designate "one or more persons, identified by name, as transfer on death beneficiary or beneficiaries" ( 5302.22(D)(4)).

File the completed and notarized affidavit for recording in the county where the property is located. NOTE THAT THE AFFIDAVIT IS ONLY VALID WHEN SUBMITTED FOR RECORDING WHILE THE GRANTOR IS STILL ALIVE.

The transfer of property rights is completed when the owner dies and the beneficiary completes and records an affidavit of confirmation under R.C. 5302.222.

Using this instrument might affect tax obligations or eligibility for certain income or asset-dependent programs. Please contact an attorney with questions about this or any other issues related to estate planning or transferring real property in Ohio.

(Ohio Transfer on Death Designation Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example)

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Cuyahoga 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 Cuyahoga County Transfer on Death Designation 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 - ( 4428 Reviews )

Joseph D.

November 14th, 2024

Easy to use and a quick turnaround rnDeed was recorded and retuned within 24 hours

Reply from Staff

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Angela M.

November 14th, 2024

Great communication and always on timely manner unless issue appears with the document.rnI like their customer service, very helpful and assisting when necessary.

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Susan H.

November 10th, 2024

I used the quitclaim deed form, it was easy to fill out, had notarized and was accepted by the county's recorders office. Having a example form made it so much easier to fill out.

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Desmond L.

December 27th, 2018

Easy access

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Judith S.

February 15th, 2022

Nice and Easy: two of my favorite things.

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Debra B.

April 14th, 2020

I was very glad to have this option for filing a form as it would have taken 4 days due to offices being closed to the public during the COVID 19 epidemic. I found the process to be fairly simple and I was able to file the document within 24 hours.

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August 18th, 2019

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April 15th, 2021

Very User friendly site

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Felincia L.

September 28th, 2024

The process was fast and efficient. I did get a bit confused after entering info for my package but soon realized I had completed this part of the process and only needed to leave the page and wait for review of the document and then the invoice. It was pretty simple. After payment of the invoice I was notified that the document had been submitted. A few hours later I received notice that the document was recorded by the city. It was fast!

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Katherine M.

October 6th, 2022

Easy smooth process to get a legal Maine template - thanks for providing

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Dretha W.

January 11th, 2019

Ordered the fill in the blank form for a deed. Very professional looking but more importantly, correct for my recording office. It was recorded with no question. The guide was a big help in completed the deed.

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catherine c.

August 22nd, 2020

very efficient with communication and follow-up(s) will be using again, thank you!:)

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Kathy Z.

November 11th, 2022

Great site !! Very easy to navigate and explanations are clear and simple to understand. Thank You!

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Ronald R.

December 30th, 2022

first tinme use, good buy=t expensive

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Dana Y.

October 22nd, 2019

Purchased and used the quitclaim form. I have no complaints with any aspect. The forms, instructions, and example all came together to make the process very easy.

Reply from Staff

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