Posted by L.G (Buc) Alboucq on 5/14/12 12:21pm
Msg #420785

record a deed

I have been asked to go to the courthouse and record a deed. I have never done this before. Any helpful hints?

Reply by anotaryinva on 5/14/12 12:39pm
Msg #420791

It's a pretty simple process. You take the deed and the check for the recording fees to the courthouse and wait for the clerk to record, they give you a receipt and you scan it and send it to the hiring party.

Now, the not so simple part, depends on the size of your courthouse. I've been to one county courthouse where I'm in and out within 10-15 minutes. The other courthouse I was stuck in line for and hour and a half, plus I had to pay $8 for 2 hours of parking.

Some companies want you to hold the deed and they overnight a check to you to take to the courthouse, others will overnight the deed back to you. Once I had a company send the deed back via FEDex with a estimated 3pm delivery time. The courthouse stopped the line at 3 so I had to intercept that package at the airport and go pick it up.

Again, it should be simple. Charge accordingly.

Reply by BeckyNC on 5/14/12 2:16pm
Msg #420796

I am also an abstractor, and while I agree in part with what anotaryinva said, there are some things that you need to be aware of before you answer your client.
Here are my top questions:
1. Confirm that you are going to record a DEED, conveying property (sometimes folks get confused or don't really know what documents will be sent to you). Then ask if there are any outstanding property taxes that need to be paid. If there are, you may also be asked to present a check to the tax collector before recording. In my neck of the woods, there are counties that require you to check on outstanding taxes with the tax office, and double check PIN numbers with the land records office before presenting the deed for recording, and the lines notwithstanding, this process can be a royal pain.
2. Is your client going to need a bring down search? Are you comfortable with that? I wouldn't recommend opening that particular can of worms unless you have some real estate paralegal experience. I'm not trying to imply that you can't do it, but searching can be tough for those with years of experience.
3. Research the statutes about recording for your state - I'm sure that if you google recording standards in WA, or the website for the county you want to record in, you'll get what you need. By doing this, you can get some idea of what the document itself needs to look like. Here in NC, for example, the top margin on the first page is required to be 3 inches. Some recorders don't care and will record as long as they can fit their label on the document without covering up anything. Others will get out a ruler and measure EVERYTHING.
4. Along with #3, ask questions at the recording office. Most of the clerks are friendly,and if you go in when they're not busy, they're happy to answer questions. Many will also post new rules and regs somewhere in the office.
5. Ask your client what they expect to pay for this service. Many signing services and vendor management services that have asked me to do recordings really have no idea what is involved and are only interested in the lowest bid. Do your homework, and set your fees accordingly - don't let them bully you.

I'm all for expanding your service offerings, and wish you the best of luck.

Reply by ikando on 5/14/12 2:43pm
Msg #420801

Becky has given a very good overview of things you should consider. I would take her suggestion to contact the recorder's office to find out what's needed, take into consideration the parking fees/toll fees to get to the courthouse, and then determine a minimum hours needed to accomplish the filing. Locally I calculate 2 hours minimum at my hourly rate, plus expenses, to file and return the documents.

Reply by Jessica Ward on 5/14/12 10:18pm
Msg #420843

Have a really good idea of the best parking too!

The couthouse where I would file deeds (I've only had to do it a couple of times) also houses juries and parking is outrageous. It helps to just call the recording office and ask where the best short-term parking is, and the best route for getting there (I have to hassle with one-way-streets, bus-restricted streets, etc.). I try to time my visit so I arrive after the juries have checked in, so the security lines aren't so bad.