Recording a deed in Hendricks County, Indiana

Recording a deed in Hendricks County

Deeds affecting property in Hendricks County, Indiana are recorded with the County Recorder. Recording is what puts the world on notice of your ownership and fixes the priority date. An unrecorded deed can still transfer title between the parties, but it leaves you exposed to anyone who records first.

The recording rules the office applies come from Ind. Code § 32-21-4-1. Deeds themselves are governed by Ind. Code § 32-21-1-13.

What to bring

• The original signed and notarized deed, endorsed by the Hendricks County Auditor before it comes to the recorder (Ind. Code § 36-2-11-14). Recorders do not record photocopies handed over the counter.
• A completed notarial certificate: the date, the county where you signed, the notary's printed name, commission expiration date, county of commission and commission number, and the notary's seal.
• On a sale, the Sales Disclosure Form (State Form 46021), approved by the county assessor and filed with the auditor. A gift or a transfer on death deed needs none.
• Payment for the recording fee, about $25 per document. The Hendricks County Auditor's $10 endorsement fee per deed or parcel is paid to that office separately. Many offices do not take personal checks.

Formatting

• Indiana requires 2-inch top and bottom margins on the first and last pages, half-inch margins elsewhere, black ink, type of at least 10 points, and white paper of at least 20-pound weight (Ind. Code § 36-2-11-16.5).
• Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 3-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 1-inch margins on the other edges, a 2-inch top margin on later pages, a 2-inch bottom margin, and type no smaller than 10 point. Deedly formats every document this way automatically.
• A legal description. A street address alone is not enough.
• A 'when recorded, return to' block so the stamped original comes back to you.

How to file

1. 1In personTake the original to the Hendricks County Auditor first for the endorsement, then to the County Recorder in Danville.
2. 2By mailSend the original with a check or money order for the fee and a self-addressed stamped envelope. Allow one to three weeks for the stamped original to come back.
3. 3E-recordingTitle companies, attorneys, and other approved submitters file electronically through services such as Simplifile, CSC, or ePN. Some offices accept filings from the public through those services; check the office's website. If you prepared the deed yourself, in person or by mail is usually simpler.