How to Quit a Claim Deed in Order to Qualify for SSI

The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program is designed to supplement the income of aged and disabled persons to provide them with food, shelter and clothing. In determining eligibility for SSI, the Social Security Administration looks to all things that you own, including land. If you are the recipient of a grant of land, especially if the grant is from a contested will, you may be disqualified from receiving SSI benefits and also may not receive any income from the land. Executing a quitclaim deed gives up any claim you have to a piece of property without making any guarantees to the buyer about your property interest.

• 1

  Find a buyer for your land. Like most transfers of land, there must be a party interested in purchasing or receiving the land. You cannot execute a quitclaim deed and have the government or uninterested parties receive your interest in the land. However, unlike a general warranty deed (the standard deed when transferring a property), a seller executing a quitclaim deed expressly avoids guaranteeing that he has lawful title to the property. Therefore, a seller executing a quitclaim deed will generally accept a purchase price that is a fraction of the value of the property or for even a nominal sum.

• 2

  Download a quitclaim deed form. Your local clerk of court, county register of deeds or state bar association will likely maintain quitclaim deed forms that you can fill in. If not, you can draft your own form or find a form on the Internet.

• 3

  Fill out and execute the quitclaim deed. You will need to list the state and county where the property is located, the address and plat number of the property being transferred. The quitclaim deed form must list that the deed does not contain any guarantees as to title. Both the buyer and seller must sign the quitclaim deed in front of a notary, who must also sign and stamp the quitclaim deed.

• 4

  Record the quitclaim deed with your county register of deeds. Every county and parish in the United States maintains a registrar of deeds where all property transfers are recorded. By recording your quitclaim deed, you will be able to demonstrate a lack of resources to the Social Security Administration, thereby ensuring that you will maintain eligibility for SSI. The fee for registering a quitclaim deed is typically about $50, and the party receiving the interest in land generally pays the filing fee.