Court deed search involves going to the court to look for the deed to a property. This can be a notoriously frustrating process because old records can be difficult to locate. It may take several hours to find some scripts. The older the records, the more difficult it will be to find them. Although fires were common in courthouses during the 1920s, property titles and property records were usually the first to be saved. Still, if you’re looking for records prior to the 1900s, the records may simply not exist.
If the records you are looking for are very old, call the court ahead of time; they may have been transferred to the state archives building, or simply not exist. In many cases, laws requiring land titles were not enforced until the 1920s, making it difficult to trace land ownership before that period. Don’t hesitate to ask for help finding the scriptures you need; This type of investigation can be intimidating at first, when you walk into court looking for it. Court clerks can be a great help in finding the information you need.
Writings can be a great way to trace the history of your land. They also contain information about the buyer, which is useful to those conducting genealogical research. The deed usually includes the name of the original owner, the name of the new owner, and the date. It means the formal transfer of ownership from one party to another. Depending on the information you are looking for, there may be other records besides deeds that provide this information. For example, there may be a section of records called ‘land expropriated for back taxes’ that provides owner information. Probate records, mortgage records, and lease agreements can also provide information about land ownership. Plan books, if available, can provide additional information about the actual terrain in question.
The number and type of records available will, of course, depend on the jurisdiction in which you are searching. There is no standard on how these records should be kept. Some may be kept in a small, cramped record room, while others may be kept in a large warehouse-style building. Security varies widely between jurisdictions; the records you seek may be kept under lock and key, or may have other restrictions. You may or may not be allowed to make copies of these records.
Many ancient deed records are kept on microfilm; in some cases, these films may also be available at your local LDS (Latter-day Saint) Family History Center, where they are used primarily for genealogical research. If you do not wish to visit the courthouse, this may be an alternative way to access the deed records.
Before conducting a courthouse deed search, make sure that the property you are interested in is, in fact, located in the county whose courthouse you plan to visit. Otherwise, your search will be fruitless.
Consider making your trip in the middle of the month; this is often a quieter time in courthouse record rooms, because most real estate closings take place at the end of the month, and attorneys and title clerks may need access to these deed records to complete the sale.