| As soon as you buy real estate, it's a | | | | only thing the clerk will check is what |
| must to register it at the recording | | | | kind of document you are recording. |
| office or wherever real estate | | | | 2. Recording |
| transactions are registered in your | | | | The recording office will copy your deed |
| particular jurisdiction. If you don't, | | | | and put it into their Official Records |
| you could end up losing title to your | | | | in numerical order. So you might end up |
| real estate due to the misconduct of the | | | | recording your deed, for example, in |
| previous owner or even due to a mistake. | | | | Volume 452, Page 209. |
| If you have bought property (as opposed | | | | 3. Indexing |
| to leasing it or accepting a mortgage on | | | | It may have occurred to you that |
| it, both of which can also be recorded), | | | | recording deeds in strict chronological |
| you will need a properly executed, | | | | order can make a deed almost impossible |
| acknowledged, and delivered deed to your | | | | to locate if you don't already know the |
| property. In some states, a mere | | | | date upon which it was recorded. That is |
| contract for the sale of real estate may | | | | why the recording office also prepares a |
| be recordable, but since you're going to | | | | set of indexes recording information |
| end up with the deed anyway at the | | | | about each document for easy reference. |
| closing of the transaction, recording | | | | Your deed will be recorded in a |
| your deed is usually the best idea. You | | | | grantor-grantee index which |
| will have to have your deed notarized. | | | | alphabetically lists recorded documents |
| 1. Filing | | | | according to the grantor's (normally the |
| The clerk at the recoding office will | | | | seller's) name and the grantee's |
| not check to see if your deed is valid, | | | | (usually the buyer's) name, along with |
| or even whether you actually own the | | | | the volume and page numbers where a copy |
| property. - that would only be | | | | of the deed can be found. It might also |
| investigated during legal proceedings in | | | | include a description of the deed and |
| case a dispute arose as to who owned the | | | | the property. The recording office will |
| property, etc. All the recording office | | | | probably also maintain a grantee-grantor |
| does is keep the document and make it | | | | index alphabetically arranged by the |
| available to people who need it. The | | | | buyer's name. |