How to Do a Deed Search
Gather information on the property., Find where property records are kept., Search an online database., Look for a chain of title., Locate the recording number., Hire a researcher., Pay necessary fees.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Gather information on the property.
The street address is a good place to start, but you will also want to track down more specific information about the current owner, such as whether or not they are selling the property.
One good piece of information to get is the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN).
This is a unique number assigned by a tax assessor that contain particular information about the property.
Depending on the location you are looking in, it may also be called the Property Tax or Parcel Identification Number. -
Step 2: Find where property records are kept.
Local jurisdictions maintain deeds in a variety of places, most commonly town and county courthouses and clerk's offices.
Older deeds may be housed in state archives.Individual record locations may be difficult to track down, so you may be better off searching on a separate online database like one of the following: http://www.realmarketing.com/county_recorders/county_recorders.htm https://www.courthousedirect.com/ http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/Land-Records-and-Deeds.htm https://uslandrecords.com/ , Some record sites have online databases that allow you to search for local records.
Fill out as much information as you can for finding the deed.
At the very least, you should include the property address, the owner's name, and the ID number.
Many deeds are written by hand, and thus can contain errors.
Misspellings can be common, and if you have difficulty finding a name or address, try some alternate spellings, The purpose of a deed is to determine who has legal ownership of the property.
Because the deed records the transfer of property from one owner to another, finding these names will allow you to trace the ownership of a property back through time.
This is necessary if you want to find a deed regarding a past owner rather than the current owner.In searching through deeds, you may come across names of companies or large landowners that have many properties to their name.
This is where other information you have, such as the address or APN, can be helpful in narrowing down a long list of potential dead ends.If a name isn’t recorded in the chain, it doesn’t exist, at least in terms of legal notice of a claim of interest.
You may come across such a "wild" deed, which records a transaction outside of the legal chain of title.
Different states have different rules for the legal standing of wild deeds, so if you have a financial interest at stake in the property, you should discuss the issue with a property lawyer., Once you have found the deed, it should have a particular recording number, registering its entrance into the records.
This is the number that will let you find the actual deed on file. , For offices that do not have a database, or even those that do, it may be best to hire someone in the office to track the deed for you.
This is most effective for record offices that you cannot get to yourself due to available time and distance. , If you want the deed to study further, you will need a copy, either paper one sent by the records office, or digital file made available to you.
Most offices will charge for copies.
The cost depends greatly on the size of the file you are looking at, how many copies you want, and the jurisdiction where you are researching. -
Step 3: Search an online database.
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Step 4: Look for a chain of title.
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Step 5: Locate the recording number.
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Step 6: Hire a researcher.
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Step 7: Pay necessary fees.
Detailed Guide
The street address is a good place to start, but you will also want to track down more specific information about the current owner, such as whether or not they are selling the property.
One good piece of information to get is the Assessor's Parcel Number (APN).
This is a unique number assigned by a tax assessor that contain particular information about the property.
Depending on the location you are looking in, it may also be called the Property Tax or Parcel Identification Number.
Local jurisdictions maintain deeds in a variety of places, most commonly town and county courthouses and clerk's offices.
Older deeds may be housed in state archives.Individual record locations may be difficult to track down, so you may be better off searching on a separate online database like one of the following: http://www.realmarketing.com/county_recorders/county_recorders.htm https://www.courthousedirect.com/ http://publicrecords.onlinesearches.com/Land-Records-and-Deeds.htm https://uslandrecords.com/ , Some record sites have online databases that allow you to search for local records.
Fill out as much information as you can for finding the deed.
At the very least, you should include the property address, the owner's name, and the ID number.
Many deeds are written by hand, and thus can contain errors.
Misspellings can be common, and if you have difficulty finding a name or address, try some alternate spellings, The purpose of a deed is to determine who has legal ownership of the property.
Because the deed records the transfer of property from one owner to another, finding these names will allow you to trace the ownership of a property back through time.
This is necessary if you want to find a deed regarding a past owner rather than the current owner.In searching through deeds, you may come across names of companies or large landowners that have many properties to their name.
This is where other information you have, such as the address or APN, can be helpful in narrowing down a long list of potential dead ends.If a name isn’t recorded in the chain, it doesn’t exist, at least in terms of legal notice of a claim of interest.
You may come across such a "wild" deed, which records a transaction outside of the legal chain of title.
Different states have different rules for the legal standing of wild deeds, so if you have a financial interest at stake in the property, you should discuss the issue with a property lawyer., Once you have found the deed, it should have a particular recording number, registering its entrance into the records.
This is the number that will let you find the actual deed on file. , For offices that do not have a database, or even those that do, it may be best to hire someone in the office to track the deed for you.
This is most effective for record offices that you cannot get to yourself due to available time and distance. , If you want the deed to study further, you will need a copy, either paper one sent by the records office, or digital file made available to you.
Most offices will charge for copies.
The cost depends greatly on the size of the file you are looking at, how many copies you want, and the jurisdiction where you are researching.
About the Author
Brittany Walker
Enthusiastic about teaching hobbies techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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