The Deed of Trust must be in a format the Sacramento County Recorder's Office will accept. A deed of trust is the California version of a mortgage.All documents submitted for recording shall have at least a ½ inch margin on the two vertical sides except in the space reserved for recording information. Proposition 13 requires that all property be reassessed as of its date of change in ownership. The Assessor's Office reviews all recorded deeds. The deed of trust is inseparable from the note it secures and follows it even without a separate assignment. In California, a deed of trust must come with security, typically a promissory note.