CHIPPEWA COUNTY REGISTER OF DEEDS.....

WHERE NO GOOD DEED GOES UNRECORDED

Address: Phone: Fax:

319 Court Street 906-635-6312 906-635-6855

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

General Office Hours: Vault Hours:

8am - 5pm Mon. - Fri., excluding holidays 8am - 4:30pm Mon. - Fri, excluding holidays

Register of Deeds: Helpful Links:

Sharon H. Kennedy, Register General Land Office Plats

ccrod@chippewacountymi.gov Statewide Search for Subdivision Plats

Michigan Association of Registers of Deeds

State Transfer Tax FAQ's

Remonumented Public Land Survey System Corners

HISTORICAL INFORMATION:

The Register of Deeds is a constitutional office headed by an elected official whose term of office is four years. The duties of the Register of Deeds are prescribed by State law.

In 1835, the first Constitution of the State of Michigan was adopted by the Congress of the United States which established the Register of Deeds as the official recording office for all legal instruments pertaining to the transfer and encumbrance of properties in each county. Warranty deeds, quit claim deeds, administrator deeds, tax and sheriff deeds, also mortgages and any assignment or discharge thereof, land patents, leases, liens, (state, federal, mechanics, etc.), probate orders, agreements, land contracts, and numerous other instruments which affect real estate including certified surveys, plats and government corners are just some of the documents you will find in the Register of Deeds office. There are tens of thousands of documents archived in the Register of Deeds office, as the office has been in existence for well over 150 years. As a matter of fact, some of our records actually predate the adoption of Michigan’s first constitution!

Lending institutions, abstract offices, realtors, lawyers, credit bureaus, and the general public are among the many researching the recordings and filings housed at the County Register of Deeds. Entries are kept daily on a computer system especially designed for the office. Each document has to be carefully checked to be sure it meets recording requirements according to statute. All documents recorded or filed must be numbered consecutively, timed, and properly cross indexed. Proof of property ownership is established according to the records of the Register of Deeds, making the job of indexing and the handling of real estate documents a very responsible operation, and the importance of such a task should not be negated or overlooked. Michigan has a "race-notice" statute, which means that documents must be recorded in the exact order in which they are presented, "first in time is first in right." An error in recording might cost a property owner a hefty sum, if the owner is forced to prove title, or ownership, of their property. The Register must constantly study and be aware of the laws which govern the office.