What Is a Washington Quitclaim Deed?
In the state of Washington, a property owner can quickly transfer ownership and interests in a property to another party, without any guarantee of ownership or a clear title, using a Washington (WA) quitclaim deed. This form makes it fast and simple to transfer a deed, add or remove a family member, or move a property into a trust without hassle or unnecessary expense.
Sometimes people in Washington will use the wrong term to refer to a quitclaim deed, for example, “quit claims deed,” “quick claim deed,” and “quit claim deed.” If a deed requires a warranty on ownership or title, the warranty deed is the appropriate document.
Important Laws & Requirements
Laws: § 64.04.050 and § 64.04.020
Signing: § 64.04.020 requires that all quitclaim deeds in Washington are notarized by a notary public.
Recording: In Washington, quitclaim deeds must be filed with the County Recorder’s Office in the county where the property named in the deed resides. The Recorder’s Office may charge a fee for filing this document. Check this list of Washington counties to see the Recorder’s Office in the appropriate county.
Attachments: The Washington quitclaim deed form requires a cover sheet.
Margins: The first page of the document requires a three-inch top margin.
How to Write & File a Quitclaim Deed in Washington
Step 1: Download the Washington quitclaim deed form.
Step 2: Prepare the cover sheet. The cover sheet has the property’s tax parcel number, legal description, and address. It also has the name of the seller (grantor) and buyer (grantee). Be sure to use the middle initial of all parties. It has the document title, such as Washington Quitclaim Deed, and a space for reference numbers for any attached or related documents. At the top of the page it has a space for the return address information.
Step 3: In the upper left hand corner of the Washington quitclaim deed form, enter the preparer’s information, including name and address.
Step 4: Underneath the preparer’s information, enter the return address information for the person who will receive the form after the Washington County Auditor is done with it.
Step 5: After “State of Washington,” record the county where the property is located.
Step 6: Add the date and full names of the grantor and grantee.
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: Next, write the name of the grantor again, followed by the term “grantor.” Record the grantor’s address after “residing at.” The address needs to follow this order: street address, county, city, state.
Step 9: After “quitclaims to,” write the grantee’s name and address using the same order.
Step 10: Find the words “Count, Washington, to-wit,” and record the property’s county again. After this, write the full legal description for the property.
Step 11: On the second page the grantor will sign and print their name, then add their mailing address. This needs to be done in the presence of a notary. The notary must notarize the document.
Step 12: Turn the document in to the Washington County Recorder’s Office in the property’s county. If the county has fees or additional forms required, file these with the document.
