Register of Deeds

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Register of Deeds

Address:

319 Court Street

Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783

Phone:

906-635-6312

Fax:

906-635-6855

Register of Deeds: Helpful Links:

Sharon H. Kennedy General Land Office Plats

ccrod@chippewacountymi.gov Statewide Search for Subdivision Plats

Michigan Association of Registers of Deeds

State Transfer Tax FAQ's

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.

The office is the official recording and filing office for all legal documents affecting real property. Examples of such documents are: 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. With some of these recordings dating back to the early 1800's, as these documents are irreplaceable, it would be impossible to place a value on such important data.

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.

The Register of Deeds office records and indexes are used for legal purposes concerning the most valuable material possession most of us own, OUR HOMES.

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