Adding someone to the title of your Del Rey home means signing a new deed in front of a notary and recording it with LA County. The current owners sign; the person being added usually doesn’t. The notary part is quick. The bigger questions, about taxes and what you’re giving away, are worth settling first.
Del Rey, the neighborhood along Ballona Creek between Mar Vista, Culver City and Playa Vista, shares Mar Vista’s 90066 ZIP, and we do these signings there often.
Questions to answer before you sign
- How will title be held? Joint tenancy, community property or tenancy in common each work differently when an owner dies.
- Property tax reassessment. Proposition 19 changed the rules for transfers between parents and children in 2021. Ask before you record.
- Your mortgage. Ask your lender how a title change affects the loan.
- Is there a better tool? A living trust or a transfer on death deed can sometimes do what you want without giving away an interest now.
These are questions for an estate planning or real estate attorney. A notary can’t choose the deed or the wording for you.
The signing
- Every current owner (grantor) signs before the notary, with ID that’s current or issued within the last five years.
- Names should match title and ID. If you’ve changed names since buying, tell whoever prepares the deed.
- We take a thumbprint in our journal, as California requires for deeds. See the journal and thumbprint.
After the signing
The deed is recorded with the LA County Registrar-Recorder, usually with a Preliminary Change of Ownership Report. Until it’s recorded, the public record doesn’t change. See grant and quitclaim deeds.
More about the neighborhood on our Del Rey notary page, part of our Mar Vista home base.
Need a notary? We come to you anywhere in Los Angeles County, 24/7 by appointment. Book online or call (424) 484-9268.