What Is a Virginia Quitclaim Deed?
A Virginia (VA) quitclaim deed is a legal document that gives a property’s owner the ability to transfer rights and ownership to a property to another party. The quitclaim deed makes no guarantee to the status of the title or the seller’s ownership, so it works best between trusted parties.
This differs from a warranty deed, which has a guarantee that the property is owned by the seller (grantor) and they are free to sell it to the buyer (grantee).
Quitclaim deeds in Virginia are sometimes called “quit claims deeds,” “quick claim deeds,” or “quit claim deeds,” but these are wrong terms for the same document.
Important Laws & Requirements
Signing: § 55-106 requires that quitclaim deeds be notarized. They also must have the signature of two witnesses.
Recording: The completed and signed document needs to be returned to the Clerk of the Circuit Court with the proper filing fee. Choose the court where the property is located, and contact the court ahead of time to learn the appropriate filing fee.
Capitals: Several phrases in the quitclaim deed in Virginia must be written in all caps, including the first listing of the grantor and grantee’s names, as well as THIS DEED, and KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS
How to Write & File a Quitclaim Deed in Virginia
Step 1: Download the appropriate VA quitclaim deed form.
Step 2: Enter the information about the person preparing the form. This is the name and mailing address of the individual.
Step 3: In the upper left-hand corner of the Washington quitclaim deed form, enter the preparer’s information, including the person’s name and name and address.
Step 4: Next, add the return address for the person who will receive the document after the Virginia Circuit Court Clerk is done with it. This could be the grantee or someone else, depending on the terms of the agreement.
Step 5: Create a statement that includes the date and the grantor and grantee’s identification. First, write “THIS DEED made this.” Next, write the calendar day, month, and year. Then write the full name of the grantor and grantee in capital letters. After each name write “as Grantor(s),” and “as Grantee(s)” respectively.
Step 6: Next write “KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that for and in consideration of the sum of.” After that, record the price paid for the property, first in words and then in numbers in parenthesis.
Step 7: Find the main paragraph and write, in words, the amount the grantee is paying for the property. Then, write the numerical representation of this amount.
Step 8: After the price, write “in hand paid to” followed by the name of the grantor again. Write the grantor’s status, such as profession or marital status. After “residing at,” record the grantor’s address, including address, county, city, and state.
Step 9: The next section, which starts with “hereby quitclaims to,” is where you will record the grantee’s name and address, using the same format as before.
Step 10: Now, record the property’s county. After “to-wit:” add the legal description of the property. If you need more room, attach a document to the deed.
Step 11: Next the grantor needs to sign the document on the second page. The grantor must write their mailing address below the signature and printed name, without the county this time but with the zip code.
Step 12: The signature must be witnessed, and the witnesses must sign and print their names. The Virginia quitclaim deed requires two witnesses per § 55-106.
Step 13: The notary public needs to notarize the signing in the third section of the second page.
Step 14: Take the form to the Clerk of the Circuit Court in the county where the property is to submit it with any appropriate filing fees and all attachments.
