Changing the title of your real estate in Orange County, California, can be accomplished by filing a quitclaim deed, which transfers your ownership in real estate to someone else. With a quitclaim deed, there is no guarantee that you have rights to the property in the first place. It also does not warranty that the title is free and clear of liens or other encumbrances. However, if you are transferring title to a parent or child, to a revocable trust or business entity owned by you, or as a result of a divorce settlement, a quitclaim deed is the proper form to use.
Use a quitclaim form to complete the information about the title change (see Resource).
Fill in the name of the person who currently owns the property and the name of the person or entity that the property is being transferred to. Write the city where the property is located and put "Orange" on the county line. Give a legal description of the real estate, as found on your property tax notice.
Sign and date the document in front of a notary and have it notarized as a formal deed. Only the person or persons releasing their ownership need to sign the deed. The one receiving the property does not.
Take your quit claimdeed to the Orange County Clerk-Recorder Office for filing and recording at 12 Civic Center Plaza, Room 101, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Call 714-834-2500 for directions or more information.
Pay the fees to make the change on your real estate title to complete the transaction. At of 2011, the Orange County charge for a one-page document is $6.
