Recorder of deeds refers to the government office that maintains records of transfers of real estate, as well as many other public documents. The individual holding the office is also known as the Recorder of Deeds. The title varies in different jurisdictions; variations include County Recorder, Register of Deeds, Registrar of Deeds, or Registrar of Titles; in some areas, this function is part of the county clerk's responsibilities. Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ... The term county clerk has been commonly applied, in several English-speaking countries, to an influential employee of a county administration. ...

The purpose of having a recorder of deeds is to provide a single location where interested parties can know to look for information about who owns what property. Because estate in land can be held in so many complex ways, a single location where such claims can be found provides some stability. Each document recorded against title to real estate can be examined and the portion of the bundle of rights that it includes can be determined. Documents describing real estate ownership that are regularly recorded include deeds, mortgages, mechanics liens, and releases, plat maps, among others. An estate is the right, interest, or nature of interest, a person has in real property. ... Real estate is a legal term that encompasses land along with anything permanently affixed to the land, such as buildings. ... The bundle of rights theory is a common way of explaining how rights in property are held. ... A deed is a legal instrument used to grant a right. ... A mortgage is a method of using property as security for the payment of a debt. ... A mechanics lien is a hold on real property for the benefit of someone whose work or property improves the property. ... A release is a legal instrument that acts to terminate any legal liability between the releasor and the releasee(s) signed by the releasor. ... A contemporary plat map showing the location of a property for sale. ...

The recorder of deeds also acts as a public posting place for documents that are not directly related to estates in land. Such documents may include corporate charters, military discharges, UCC records, and judgments. An estate is the right, interest, or nature of interest, a person has in real property. ... A charter is a document bestowing certain rights on a town, city, university or institution. ... A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. ... The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) is one of the uniform acts that has been promulgated in attempts to harmonize the law of sales and other commercial transactions in the fifty state in the United States of America. ... A judgment or judgement (see spelling note below), in a legal context, is synonymous with the formal decision made by a court following a lawsuit. ...

In the U.S., most Recorders of Deeds are elected officials serving the area of a county or county equivalent territory.

See also

Some Recorders/Registers of Deeds who were nationally prominent:

• Joseph Montgomery: Recorder of Deeds and Register of Wills, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, 1785-94
• Frederick Douglass: Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia, 1881-86
• Charles E. Townsend: Register of Deeds for Jackson County, Michigan, 1886-97
• Blanche Kelso Bruce: Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia, 1891-93
• William S. Vare: Recorder of Deeds for Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1902-12
• Edward Boland: Register of Deeds for Hampden County, Massachusetts, 1941-52
• Carol Moseley Braun: Recorder of Deeds for Cook County, Illinois, 1988-92

Joseph Montgomery (1733-1794) as an American Presbyterian minister and a delegate to the Continental Congress from Pennsylvania. ... Dauphin County is a county located in the state of Pennsylvania and is one of four counties comprising the greater Harrisburg metropolitan area. ... Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass (February 14, 1818 – February 20, 1895) was an American abolitionist, editor, orator, author, statesman and reformer. ... ... Charles Elroy Townsend (August 15, 1856–August 3, 1924) was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan. ... Jackson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. ... Blanche Kelso Bruce (March 1, 1841 – March 17, 1898) was an American politician. ... ... William S. Vare, (24 December 1867–7 August 1934), was the youngest of three brothers who were all contractors and poolitical bosses. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love Motto: N/A Official website: http://www. ... Edward Patrick Boland (October 1, 1911 - November 4, 2001) was a politician from the state of Massachusetts. ... Hampden County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. ... Carol Moseley Braun Carol Moseley Braun (born August 16, 1947), American politician and lawyer, was the first (and to date only) black woman elected to the United States Senate (representing Illinois). ... Cook County is a county located in the state of Illinois. ...

External links

Recording process:

• Illinois Mechanics Liens

Directory:

• National County Recorders Directory

Organizations:

• Property Records Industry Association (PRIA)
• Kansas Register of Deeds Association
• North Carolina Association of Registers of Deeds
• Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association

Specific offices:

• Cook County Recorder of Deeds