The California DE-305 form is an affidavit used to claim real property of small value, specifically when the property is valued at $55,425 or less. This form serves as a legal declaration by successors of a deceased person, allowing them to assert their rights to the property without going through a full probate process. If you need to fill out this form, click the button below to get started.
The California DE-305 form, officially known as the Affidavit Re Real Property of Small Value, serves a crucial purpose in the probate process for individuals dealing with the estate of a deceased person. This form is specifically designed for situations where the total value of the decedent's real property does not exceed $55,425, allowing heirs to claim ownership without undergoing a formal probate proceeding. To utilize this form, certain conditions must be met, including that at least six months have passed since the decedent's death and that the decedent was domiciled in the county where the property is located. The form requires detailed information about the decedent, including their name, date of death, and the legal description of the property in question. Additionally, it necessitates the identification of successors to the decedent's estate, which can be beneficiaries under a will or individuals who inherit under California's intestacy laws. Importantly, the DE-305 form also mandates that all known debts and expenses related to the decedent’s estate have been settled, ensuring that the property can be transferred free of encumbrances. By completing this form accurately, successors can simplify the transfer of small-value real estate and avoid the complexities of formal probate, making it a vital tool for many families navigating the aftermath of a loved one's passing.
DE-305
ATTORNEY OR PARTY WITHOUT ATTORNEY (name, address, and State Bar number):
After recording return to:
TEL NO.:
FAX NO.:
EMAIL ADDRESS:
ATTORNEY FOR (name):
SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF
STREET ADDRESS:
MAILING ADDRESS:
CITY AND ZIP CODE:
BRANCH NAME:
FOR RECORDER'S USE ONLY
MATTER OF (name):
CASE NUMBER:
DECEDENT
AFFIDAVIT RE REAL PROPERTY OF SMALL VALUE
FOR COURT USE ONLY
($55,425 or Less)
1.Decedent (name): died on (date):
2.Decedent died at (city, state):
3.At least six months have elapsed since the date of death of decedent as shown in the certified copy of decedent's death certificate attached to this affidavit. (Attach a certified copy of decedent's death certificate.)
4.a. Decedent was domiciled in this county at the time of death.
b. Decedent was not domiciled in California at the time of death. Decedent died owning real property in this county.
5.a. The legal description and the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN) of decedent's real property claimed by the declarant(s) are provided on an attached page labeled Attachment 5a, "Legal Description." (Copy legal description exactly from deed or other legal instrument.)
b.Decedent's interest in this real property is as follows (specify):
6.Each declarant is a successor of decedent (as defined in Probate Code section 13006) and a successor to decedent's interest in the real property described in item 5a, or signs this declaration on behalf of an entity that is a successor of decedent and to decedent's interest in the real property, and no other person or entity has a superior right, because each declarant or entity is:
a. (will) a beneficiary that succeeded to the property under decedent's will. (Attach a copy of the will.)
b. (no will) a person who succeeded to the property under Probate Code sections 6401 and 6402.
7. Names and addresses of each guardian or conservator of decedent's estate at date of death:
none
are as follows:*
Names
Addresses
(*You must mail [or serve, per Prob. Code, § 1216] a copy of this affidavit and all attachments to each guardian or conservator listed above. You may use Judicial Council form POS-030 for a proof of mailing or form POS-020 for a proof of personal service.)
8.The gross value of decedent's interest in all real property located in California as shown by the attached Inventory and Appraisal— excluding the real property described in Probate Code section 13050 (property held in joint tenancy or as a life estate or other interest terminable upon decedent's death, property passing to decedent's spouse, property in a trust revocable by the decedent,
etc.)—did not exceed $55,425 as of the date of decedent's death.
Form Adopted for Mandatory Use Judicial Council of California DE-305 [Rev. January 1, 2020]
MATTER OF (Name):
9.An Inventory and Appraisal of all of decedent's interests in real property in California is attached. The appraisal was made by a probate referee appointed for the county in which the property is located. (You must prepare the Inventory on Judicial Council forms DE-160 and DE-161. You may select any probate referee appointed for the county for the appraisal. The California State Controller's Office has a list of all probate referees, shown by county on its website, and each court has a list of probate referees appointed for its county. Check with the probate referee you select or consult an attorney for help in preparing the Inventory.)
10.No proceeding is now being or has been conducted in California for administration of decedent's estate.
11.Funeral expenses, expenses of last illness, and all known unsecured debts of the decedent have been paid. (NOTE: You may be personally liable for decedent's unsecured debts up to the fair market value of the real property and any income you receive from it.)
I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing is true and correct. Date:
(TYPE OR PRINT NAME)*
(SIGNATURE OF DECLARANT)
Date:
SIGNATURE OF ADDITIONAL DECLARANTS ATTACHED
*A declarant claiming on behalf of a trust or other entity should also state the name of the entity that is a beneficiary under the decedent's will, and declarant's capacity to sign on behalf of the entity (e.g., trustee, Chief Executive Officer, etc.).
NOTARY ACKNOWLEDGMENT
(NOTE: No notary acknowledgment may be affixed as a rider (small strip) to this page. If addi-
tional notary acknowledgments are required, they must be attached as 8-1/2-by-11-inch pages.)
A notary public or other officer completing this certificate verifies only the identity of the individual who signed the document to which this certificate is attached, and not the truthfulness, accuracy, or validity of that document.
STATE OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF (specify):
On (date):
, before me (name and title):
personally appeared (name(s)):
who proved to me on the basis of satisfactory evidence to be the person(s) whose name(s) is/are subscribed to the within instrument and acknowledged to me that he/she/they executed the instrument in his/her/their authorized capacity(ies), and that by his/her/their signature(s) on the instrument the person(s), or the entity upon behalf of which the person(s) acted, executed the instrument.
I certify under PENALTY OF PERJURY under the laws of the
(NOTARY SEAL)
State of California that the foregoing paragraph is true and correct.
WITNESS my hand and official seal.
(SIGNATURE OF NOTARY PUBLIC)
(SEAL)
CLERK'S CERTIFICATE
I certify that the foregoing, including any attached notary acknowledgments and any attached legal description of the property (but excluding other attachments), is a true and correct copy of the original affidavit on file in my office. (Certified copies of this affidavit do not include the
(1) death certificate, (2) will, or (3) inventory and appraisal. See Probate Code section 13202.)
Clerk, by
, Deputy
DE-305 [Rev. January 1, 2020]
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