| Preparing legal documents is a complex, exacting process. A deed would have to be prepared transferring the land from whoever has it, to the names they want on the property. It is not something that most people without legal training should attempt to do. We always encourage a customer to seek legal counsel to change the title to their real estate. We do not have forms in our office for the transfer of real estate although some stationery stores may have them. |
| This office is not permitted to complete forms, help customers fill out forms, or to check forms to make sure the result is what the customer intended. As the Register of Deeds, our purpose is to file those documents that are in recordable form. Once the documents are recorded, they must meet the satisfaction of a title examiner. A title examiner is a certified abstractor from a title company or an attorney. The title examiner usually doesn’t come into play until the property is about to be sold. This may be several years later and then someone that should have signed the document may have died thus causing a probate or a quiet title action, which can be very costly to the customer. |
| We always encourage the customer to seek legal advice. If you don’t have an attorney, the South Dakota Bar Association maintains a list. They can be reached at 222 East Capitol Ave., Pierre, South Dakota. Telephone No 605-224-7554 or in state Watts line of 1-800-952-2333. We hope this information will be helpful to you. |
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