Recording a deed in Wayne County, Michigan

Recording a deed in Wayne County

Deeds affecting property in Wayne County, Michigan are recorded with the Register of Deeds. 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 MCL § 565.201. Deeds themselves are governed by MCL § 565.1.

What to bring

• The original signed and notarized deed. Recorders do not record photocopies handed over the counter.
• A completed notarial acknowledgment, with the date, the place where you signed, and the commission expiry all filled in.
• Any transfer tax payment or exemption statement the office asks for.
• For a warranty or covenant deed, the Wayne County Treasurer's certificate that property taxes for the last 5 years are paid (MCL 211.135). Quitclaim deeds and other deeds without warranty covenants don't need it.
• Payment for the recording fee, about $30 per document. Many offices do not take personal checks.

Formatting

• Michigan registers of deeds may not accept a nonconforming instrument: 2.5-inch top margin on the first page, half-inch margins elsewhere, black ink of at least 10-point type on white 20-pound paper, the instrument's title as the first line of print, each signature in black or dark blue ink with the signer's name printed beneath it, each grantee's address, and the drafter's name and business address (MCL § 565.201).
• Deedly's layout, which suits this office: 8.5 × 11 inch paper, a 2.5-inch clear space at the top of page one for the recording stamp, 0.5-inch margins on the other edges, 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 Register of Deeds in Detroit. This is the fastest route. You usually walk out with the recording information the same day.
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.