I prepare and record real property deeds primarily for properties located in Monterey County but other counties in California as well. I handle the preparation of the deeds and recording with the County Recorder.
Fees
Fees for preparation of deeds include notarization at no additional charge provided that the signing of the documents takes place in my office. The fee for preparing a deed, or in some cases, an affidavit of death of a real property owner, ranges from $350 to $400. A higher fee is usually due to a lengthy legal description of more than a page. In some cases, there is an additional fee for researching the ownership history of a property by acquiring copies of older deeds and other recorded documents. See "Deed research" below. This additional fee ranges from $25 to $50 unless I am able to acquire the documents at no cost. County Recorder fees are additional.
In most cases I record deeds electronically from my office. I only record deeds that I prepare. If you prepared your own deed, you can record it in person or hire a courier service to do that for you. Click the "Other resources" tab for more information. County Recorder fees vary based on the type of document, number of pages and whether the property in question is owner-occupied.
If your deed involves a sale, you should contact a title company about opening an escrow and obtaining title insurance.
Deed research
This usually involves obtaining copies of older recorded deeds, deeds of trust and other documents to verify ownership history and the legal description of the property. In all cases, I do a thorough search on previously recorded deeds and other documents on a specific property to check for accuracy in the legal description, multiple owners, changes in marital status and any prior recorded deeds which may not have resulted in change of ownership. Depending on the process involved, there may or may not be an additional fee for this. Additional fees usually apply in situations where I have to pay a fee to obtain the documents in question.
Generally speaking, recording a deed does not guarantee that title to the property has been transferred. If there are inconsistencies with the name(s), legal description or other factors, the County Recorder will not transfer ownership. After the deed is recorded, it is reviewed by the County Recorder's office for accuracy. If a correction is needed, they will mail a letter notifying the affected parties of this and noting the corrections that need to be made. In order to correct the transfer, a new deed needs to be prepared and recorded. It is not a good practice when preparing and recording a deed to rely solely on the most recently recorded deed. Many preprinted fill-in-the-blank deeds omit critically important language. I do not use preprinted deed forms. All deeds that I prepare are customized for each situation.