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Ohio Estate Planning Law: Affidavit of Joint Survivor

Introduction

If you have a survivorship deed and one of you dies, the remaining owner can file an affidavit of joint survivor. This will correct the deed, so that it is only in the survivor's name. This allows the joint survivor to avoid probate, at least pertaining to this piece of real property.

Instructions for filling out deeds

How to fill out the deed forms from the Franklin County Law Library: 

1) Read the entire form carefully. You will get a good idea of what goes in each blank by reading what comes before and after the blank.

2) Enter all the names of the current owners of the property as the  grantors on the deed. 

3) Enter all the names of the persons you want to be owners of the property as the grantees. Note: if you are adding a name to the deed, you list the current owner and the new owner both as grantees.

4) Attach the legal description of the property from the prior deed. You can obtain a clean copy of the legal description from the Franklin County Recorder's Office.  (You cannot just attach the entire prior deed because conveyance standards prohibit multiple grantor/grantee clauses in one deed.)

5) Each grantor must sign the deed in front of a notary public. There is a notary at the Franklin County Auditor's Office. Each deed that transfers real estate must start the process at the Auditor's Office.

6) The deed is filed at the Franklin County Recorder's Office.