All deeds are prepared by an Illinois Real Estate Attorney
For basic service, a quitclaim deed attorney will prepare the new quitclaim deed (and Grantor/Grantee Statement if necessary). The fee is $150 (or $160 if paid by credit card). It will be your responsibility to get the transfer stamps (if necessary) and get the deed recorded with the County Recorder. There is nothing legal about obtaining the municipal stamp and recording the deed. It is just time consuming and there are fees that must be paid.
This service includes everything in the Basic Services Option PLUS obtaining local municipal exempt transfer stamps, and recording the quitclaim deed with the county recorder’s office. If paying by cash or check, total fees start at $355 for municipalities that do not have transfer stamps. Some municipalities require various water, sewer, or property inspections prior to the issuance of the stamp. See the list below for prices by municipality.
Towns in Counties w/o Local Stamps
There are a handful of reasons why some municipalities cost more than others. The most common reasons are below:
If you you have the time and wish to handle the leg work, you are welcome to get the municipal transfer stamps on your own. If you do, opt for only the "basic service" from Lohse Law. We promise that it will not "hurt our feelings" if you do!
Prices above reflect a cash discount price for an Exempt Quitclaim Deed. Payment by credit card will be slightly more. Prices don't include any outstanding balances, fines, or liens owed to the municipality. Prices subject to change.
Quitclaim deeds pursuant to a divorce or separation may not qualify as an exempt transaction.
If retaining Lohse Law for the "Full Service" representation, The MSA (marital settlement agreement or divorce decree) must be provided to -- and reviewed by -- Lohse Law to determine if the transaction is exempt from paying transfer stamps.
Fees above reflect only exempt transactions. If it is determined that the transaction is not exempt from paying transfer stamps, Lohse Law will advise on how much the stamp(s) will cost. You will be required to either pay for -- or reimburse Lohse Law for -- the cost of the stamp.
Quitclaim deed fees include FREE in-person Quitclaim Deed notarization in the Vernon Hills office location for deeds that Lohse Law prepares.
Additional fees and charges will be due if it is determined the transaction is not an exempt transaction. Municipalities have different fees and requirements for non-exempt transactions. Please call for more information.
A transaction qualifies as an "exempt" transaction if there is no money, or any other form of consideration. Exempt transaction means that there are no additional fees for transfer stamps to the City, County or State.
Transfer stamp fees vary city by city, however, the transfer stamp fee for the County and State is $1.50 for every $1,000 in consideration.
A legal description is required on all deeds. Client is responsible to provide a copy of an old deed, mortgage, or survey with the legal description clearly legible. The prices above do not include the county document search fee to get a copy of the property's legal description. There is a $25 search fee to pull the legal description if Client doesn't have a document with the legal description. This $25 fee is waived if Client pays for the "Full Service" option above.
Legal descriptions must be typed because there isn't a "copy/paste" option in any public records. Legal descriptions take time to type, and on occasion, the legal description is extra-long in length. When a legal description is more than 15 lines in length, Lohse Law may charge a small fee to offset for the time it takes to type the description. Lohse Law charges $3 per line in excess of 15 lines.
Lohse Law will let you know if additional fees are due. Usually a municipality will send an invoice to Lohse Law for any fees, liens, stamps, or past due bills (such as an unpaid water bill). They will require these fees to be paid prior to the issuance of the transfer stamp.
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