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Register of Deeds
The Register of Deeds is a constitutional office of Michigan established in 1835. The duties of the Register of Deeds include recording, indexing, and retaining documents that convey or encumber property within Barry County.
Register of Deeds – Barbara Hurless (third term; worked in R.o.D office since Aug. 1999)
Chief Deputy – Emily Reed
Deputy – Cathy Trader
Part Time Deputy Indexing Specialist – Sharon Dreese
|
Location |
Contact |
Hours |
|
Barry County Courthouse |
Phone: (269) 945-1289 |
Monday – Friday |
Document Recording
The recording of your document by this office does not make it legal; it makes it public record.
Please be sure your documents are completed and meet the recording requirements before they arrive at the Register of Deeds office. Employees are not allowed to advise or assist in filling out documents (MCL 600.916 (1)). Anyone needing help should contact an attorney. Documents requiring tax-certifications should be pre-stamped or sent with a separate $5.00 payment to the Barry County Treasurer.
Documents may be recorded by mail, in person, or by e-recording. Documents mailed for recording require a self-addressed stamped envelope for their return. We scan, index, and give each document an instrument number before returning the original back to the submitter.
Recording Fees (per State Statute):
$30.00 per document
$3.00 per each additional instrument so assigned or discharged
Document Searching
Individuals looking for a copy of their latest deed can come into the office and staff will look the deed up for you for $5.00 search fee per property and $1.00 per page/image of the document. Documents such as State Tax Liens, Federal Tax Liens, and UCC documents have additional search fees. Documents can be certified for an additional $5.00 fee. We cannot search over the phone nor can we provide more in-depth title searches or abstracts.
If you are comfortable searching yourself, you can come into the courthouse and use the Register of Deeds Public Workstations to search by Grantor/Grantee. Searches done at these workstations are free; there is only a $1.00 fee per page for prints. The public is also welcome to search the Grantor/Grantee indexes in the office for free. Using the tract index (legal description of property) both on the workstations and in the office will have a fee of $1.00 per minute.
You can also search online using Tapestry (fee per search) or Laredo (monthly subscription). For more information on these services click here.
Genealogy/Property History Searching
Researchers can use any of the above self-searching methods to locate ancestors or trace a property’s ownership history. The Register of Deeds office cannot conduct these searches and recommends contacting a title company if you are unable to search yourself.