Deed Preparation & Title Transfer Attorney in Rocklin & Roseville, CA
One wrong line on a California deed can reset a family’s property taxes to market value. Under Proposition 19, the parent’s low assessed value will follow the family home only if the child moves into it within a year and only up to the parents’ taxable value of $1,044,586 plus any rent received. Rent it out and the assessor will revalue it.
At Filippi Law Firm, P.C., we understand that your legacy is everything, and for most families, the house is a big part of it. We prepare and record deeds in trusts between spouses, children, and beneficiaries.
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Every Placer County Deed Ends Up on Atherton Road
Placer County deeds are recorded at the Clerk-Recorder’s office at 3715 Atherton Road in Rocklin, which is a short drive from our office. The Antelope, Citrus Heights and Sacramento properties are recorded with Sacramento County. Recording is an easy part.
Two things most people learn too late:
- The recorder checks the format of the document, not its substance. Even if the name of a trustee or the legal description of a property doesn’t match what’s in the deed, it will still get recorded. This can cause problems years later when a title company refuses to insure a sale.
- The assessor will read every deed. If there is no claim for the right of exclusion in the Preliminary Change of Ownership Report, a reassessment notice may follow.
Which Deed Do I Need? Start With Your Situation
People search for deeds by name. It’s easier to start with what you’re trying to do. New to the terms? See our guides on grant deeds vs. deeds of trust and how to hold titles in California.
| If your situation is… | You likely need | Reassessment? |
|---|---|---|
| Your living trust is signed, but the house is still in your name | Trust transfer deed | No. Funding your own revocable trust isn’t a change in ownership. |
| A spouse is coming on or off title, often for a refinance | Interspousal transfer deed | No. Spousal transfers are excluded. |
| You want to give your home to your child now | Grant deed plus a BOE-19-P claim | Avoided only if the child moves in within a year, up to the cap |
| You want to leave the home to a grandchild | Grant deed or trust distribution plus a BOE-19-G claim | Same rules, only if the grandchild’s parent has died |
| You want the house to pass at death without a trust | Transfer-on-death deed | Not at signing. At death, it depends on who inherits. |
| A parent’s trust leaves the house to you | Trustee’s deed | Yes, unless a parent-child or spousal exclusion applies |
| A name, vesting, or legal description is wrong | Corrective deed | Usually not, for a pure correction |
| An old co-owner’s interest clouds title | Quitclaim, or quiet title if they won’t sign | Only if ownership actually changes |
Not sure which row fits? That’s what the first call is for.
The Six Deeds We Prepare Most Often
Trust Transfer Deed
A signed living trust does not own anything until you transfer property into it. According to RTC § 62, this is not a change in ownership, so the assessed value remains unchanged. It is the deed that we record most often, and it is often overlooked.
Parent-to-Child & Grandparent-to-Grandchild
These work for the family home under Prop 19, below. Gifting during your life has a hidden cost: your child generally takes your original tax basis instead of the step-up your heirs get at death. Sometimes waiting, or setting up a trust, is better.
Interspousal Transfer Deed
Lenders often want to see one spouse’s title before a refinance. The deed is short, but the consequences aren’t. Under Family Code § 852, this can turn community property into separate property, which affects who inherits.
Quitclaim Corrections & Title Defects
A misspelled name, a missing spouse’s signature, and a deceased joint tenant are still on record. We reviewed the chain of title, drafted the fix and cleared it with the title officer. Our deed guide covers the basics.
Transfer-on-Death Deed
A TOD deed transfers one property at death without probate if you follow the rules exactly: two witnesses, a notary and recording within 60 days (Probate Code §§ 5624 and 5626). Miss one of these and it fails.
Deeds Out of a Trust on Distribution
When a trust settles, the successor trustee transfers the property to the beneficiaries. A change of ownership statement is also due from the assessor within 150 days of death (RTC § 480).
Prop 19: What Still Avoids Reassessment
Proposition 19 went into effect on February 16, 2021 and ended a rule that allowed parents to transfer almost any property to their children at the old tax value.
The following remained in place:
- The family home, transferred from parent to child: If the market value of the property is equal to or less than the parents’ taxable value plus $1,044,586 (for transfers made before February 15, 2027), then the parents’ original value will be used. If the value is above this amount, the difference will be added. The child must live in the home and claim the homestead exemption within one year.
- For transfers from grandparents to grandchildren, the same rules apply, but only if the child’s parent is deceased.
- Farms can be transferred under the same conditions, with no residency requirement.
- Spouses and registered domestic partners can transfer funds without a cap (RTC § 63).
- You can also create a revocable trust to fund your own needs.
What didn’t happen: rentals, second homes, lake cabins, vacant lots. These are reassessed when they are passed on to children.
Placer & Sacramento County Recording Fees and the PCOR
Small next to the mistakes they prevent, but not zero:
| Fee | Placer County | Sacramento County |
|---|---|---|
| Base recording fee, first page | $14 | $20 |
| Each additional page | $3 | $3 |
| SB2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee, unless exempt | $75 per document, $225 cap | $75 per document, $225 cap |
| Deed recorded without a PCOR | Up to $20 extra | Up to $20 extra |
| Documentary transfer tax | $0.55 per $500 of consideration | $0.55 per $500, plus the City of Sacramento’s own tax inside city limits |
Family deeds usually do not owe any transfer tax because money does not change hands, but an exemption must be stated on the deed. A home going to an owner-occupier often skips the SB2 fee under Gov. Code § 27388.1. Again, this is only if the deed states so.
Why Rocklin & Roseville Families Call Jim Filippi
Before he practiced law, Jim Filippi was a California police officer. That career ended during a narcotics detail when a suspect trapped him in a vehicle and accelerated, dragging him down the street. The injuries healed, but the career did not return.
What he found next was estate law. And the connection was not as strange as it sounded. Both jobs were about showing up for people on their worst day of the year. Clients handing over their parents’ files were not signing documents; they were trusting someone with something their family had spent a lifetime building.