Once again area residents are receiving solicitation letters from various companies offering to obtain a copy of the person’s property deed for a processing fee of $83.

Even though the mailing contains a statement that it is not a governmental agency and not affiliated with the county in which your deed is filed, it is confusing to area residents who are concerned about their property records.

In the State of Ohio, the County Recorder’s office is the only source for providing certified copies of deeds and the fee, set by the Ohio Revised Code, is $2 per page plus $1 for certification.

The average deed consists of two to four pages. A non certified, unassisted copy may be obtained in the Recorder’s Office, by any individual, for a fee of 10 cents per page.

Any deed recorded after January 1981 may be viewed and copied for free from the recorder’s website at www.lawrencecountyohiorecorder.org.

Please remember that once a deed is filed with the Recorder’s Office, it is a permanent record of your ownership. It doesn’t matter if you have the original or a copy of your deed in your possession. Your rights of ownership are safe and secure once it has been recorded.

While the service being offered in the solicitation is not illegal, I find it very disturbing that property owners are being asked to pay such an outrageous fee for the same service that my staff and I provide for a nominal fee.

I urge every property owner, who is interested in purchasing a copy of their deed, to contact my office before making a commitment to receive a copy otherwise.

You may also access property information from Jason Stephens, Lawrence County Auditor’s website at www.lawrencecountyauditor.org or by calling his office at (740) 533-4310.

 

Sharon Gossett Hager is the Lawrence County Recorder. She can be reached at (740) 533-4314 or lawcorecorder@gmail.com.