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REAL ESTATE

REAL ESTATE

The Recorder’s Office serves as a repository of real estate documents for the county. Our records are permanent and classified as public information. These records date back to prior the founding of the county in December of 1922. We have the old Beltrami County land records that pertain to our geographical boundaries. We utilize a comprehensive index system in order to locate a recorded document. We have used a computer database system since 1991.

In order to record a document in this office, there are basic requirements as determined by Minnesota statute. Land ownership is an important and valuable investment. Whether you are buying or selling property, estate planning, or removing a co-owner’s name, we strongly recommend you contact a professional. An Attorney, Title & Abstract company, or a Realtor, familiar with Minnesota property law, can assist with the preparation of the necessary documents. This office records over 200 different types of documents each year. What worked for your neighbor might not be the correct document for your situation. This office does not prepare documents for recording, nor do we have blank forms.

Basic requirements

This office uses the checklist linked below to ensure a document that is presented is acceptable for recording, based on statutory requirements.

Fees

  • $46.00 – recording fee to record any document
  • Payment methods include cash, checks or money orders made payable to “County Recorder”

ALL DOCUMENTS: 

  • Document must be dated. 
  • Is the Document signed by the appropriate parties? Document must be an original with “live” ink. 
  • Acknowledgment(s) requirements: 
  • State and county where the Document was signed; 
  • Date of signatures; 
  • Notary signature, commission expiration date, and legible seal/stamp; 
  • Names and marital status of the individuals who are signing the Document, or if corporate, the name of the entity, who signed, and their title(s). 
  • Recording fees: $46.00 for each Document presented for recording; 
  • Check or money order payable to “County Recorder. 
  • When presented for recording, you must indicate if the Document is to be recorded in “Abstract” or “Torrens” property records. 

TRANSFER DEEDS: 

  • Legal description of record must be included/attached to the Document. 
  • State deed tax is calculated as follows: 
  • Purchase price x 0.0033 = Deed tax amount; 
  • Minimum state deed tax is $1.65; 
  • Make check or money order payable to “County Recorder. 
  • Completed Certificate of Real Estate Value form. ECRV receipt page must be submitted with the Documentor, the ECRV id number must appear on the face of the Document. 
  • If applicable, declaration of “Total consideration for this transfer is $3,000 or less” must be stated on the face of the Document. Remit minimum state deed tax amount. 
  • Are there any delinquent taxes on this property? 
  • If conveyance creates a split in the tax parcel, all current taxes must be paid and the Land & Water Planning Office must give approval. 
  • Well Disclosure: Completed State Well Disclosure Certificate and $50.00 fee; Or 
  • “The seller certifies that the seller does not know of any wells on the described property”; Or 
  • “I am familiar with the property described in this instrument and I certify that the status and the number of wells have not changed since the last previously filed well disclosure certificate.”  
  • Warranty deed given in fulfillment of a Contract for Deed must have any of the above three options signed by the buyer. 
  • “Drafted by” – Must include name and address. 
  • Name and address for future tax statements must be listed on the Document. (“No Change” is not acceptable) 

OTHER TYPES OF DOCUMENTS: 

  • Corrective Documents: 
  • New signatures with new acknowledgments; 
  • Statement as to what is being corrected and previous Document number. 
  • Court issued Documents must be unaltered certified copies. 
  • Mortgage registration tax included: Amount of mortgage x 0.0023 = Mortgage registry tax amount; 
  • Make check or money order payable to “County Recorder. 

DOCUMENT STANDARDS  Minnesota Statutes 507.093 

Standards for Documents To Be Recorded Or Filed (in part) 

  1. The following standards are imposed on Documents to be recorded with the County Recorder or Registrar of Titles: 
  2. The Document shall consist of one or more individual sheets measuring no larger than 8.5 inches by 14 inches. 
  3. The form of the Document shall be printed, typewritten or computer generated in black ink and the form of the Document shall not be smaller than 8 point type. 
  4. The Document shall be on white paper of not less than 20-pound weight with no background color, images, or writing and shall have a clear border of approximately one-half inch in the top, bottom and each side. 
  5. The first page of the Document shall contain a blank space at the top measuring three inches, as measured from the top of the page.   
  6. The title of the Document shall be prominently displayed at the top of the first page below the blank space referred to in clause 4. 
  7. No additional sheet shall be attached or affixed to a page that covers up any information or printed part of the form. 
  8. Document presented for recording or filing must be sufficiently legible to reproduce a readable copy using the County Recorder’s or Registrar of Titles’ current method of reproduction. 

The information listed above should not be construed as legal advice.  Please seek competent assistance when preparing any legal document.  The Lake of the Woods County Recorder’s Office does not assist with the preparation of documents. 

You may combine checks that are payable to “County Recorder.” Please staple your document. Self-addressed envelopes are appreciated, but not required. 

Our real estate records are available online at www.idocmarket.com 24/7! 

Try e-recording your documents with us and save postage and time! 

A comprehensive index is crucial to the county, landowners and customers of this office. A consistent and reliable index that is reliable for all the past, current and future consumers and stakeholders cannot be overstated. Without the index, the document is essentially lost. We have partnered with Tyler Technologies since 2012 for an online database of our land records. Idocmarket (IDM) is a subscription-based service, with rates ranging from an hour to monthly subscription. Our records are available 24/7 from the comfort of your office or home. www.idocmarket.com. Select Minnesota – Lake of the Woods County from the list of counties available.  Our records are synced on a daily basis. What we recorded yesterday is viewable today. Also, we are continuously adding older records to our online database. Our goal is to have all the county’s real estate records available online by the year 2030.
  1. Lake of the Woods County (herein after L/W) abstract real estate documents begin with the prefix A followed by nine digits. We use zeroes to create a nine digit number. For example: A0000xxxxx. As of mid-December, 2018: A000xxxxxx.
  2. Database indexing began in the county approximately May, 1991. All L/W abstract records are imaged and indexed from approximately 1960 through present. Other images and older indexed information may also be available. We are constantly adding and indexing more records, to make a more complete online index. 
  3. When searching by name, try to be as vague as possible to begin with. The information you have may not always be the party’s proper legal name, or there may be inconsistencies in the usageWe index exactly how the information appears on the document. Try searching by the last, or surname, only. First names are often abbreviated, or inconsistent, even on legal documents. For example: Robert T. Smith, Jr. on the document is indexed as: Smith, Jr. Robert T. However, the party may also go by Bob Smith, or Robert Smith, or Robert Smith, Jr., etc. 
  4. Use a brief legal description.  We index from the forty, or government lot, designation. Acreage is not always included in the document we are indexing from, so it is not always reliable. For example: If you are searching Section 2, Township 161, Range 31 W1/2NW1/4SW1/4 – do not include acreage, W2 or W 660’ for your initial search criteria.  
  5. Parcel numbers are searchable in the database; however parcel numbers can change over time.  An original parcel number on a deed from the time of transfer may not still be the current number. Parcel numbers were first used, and indexed, 1/1/90. Use caution when relying on a parcel number. You may contact the Auditor/Treasurer’s office during regular business hours at 218/634-2361 for specific information. For example: L/W Parcel Numbers are formatted as follows:  12.34.56.789 
  6. Do not start your search with a specific document type. Also, use a wide date range. Oftentimes documents are presented for recording up to two months after prepared and signed. 
  7. You may search county maps from the County homepage. Select “Maps” for the list of choices. Certificates of Survey on file and recorded Plats can also be found here. 
  8. Land records are available for searching and viewing in our office at no charge 7:30-4:00 Monday thru Friday. Photocopies of documents will be charged $1.00 per page.  Property owners are not charged for non-certified copies of their own documents. 

This office does not prepare or store Abstracts. Please contact a Title & Abstract company or Attorney for assistance.

Document Alert Instructions

Document alerts will notify you via email when a document is filed and a match is found for a created alert. To create alerts, go to www.idocmarket.com and select one or more of the counties offering this service. Next, choose the Grantor, Grantee, or Parcel number from the field dropdown and enter your information exactly as you want it to be searched. You can add multiple names or parcel numbers, up to 5 criteria per alert. Choose Save when all values are entered, and your information will appear under Existing Alerts. You can edit or remove your alerts at any time by clicking on the icons next to a saved alert. Document Alerts are not historical and will only be sent for documents filed after the alert is saved.

Helpful Hints

  • The more criteria you add per alert can help to prevent false positives.
  • It may be necessary to create separate alerts for different names and/or properties.
  • The results will be returned on exact matches on all criteria entered per alert.
  • Add idocmarket@tylertech.com to your trusted contacts so notification emails are not flagged as spam.

RECORDER INFORMATION

Decorative Line

LAKE OF THE WOODS
COUNTY RECORDER

(218) 634-1902

206 8th Ave SE,
Suite #280
Baudette, MN 56623

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CONTACT US

SUSAN J. NEY

County Recorder

CHRISTIE RUSSELL

Deputy Recorder

recorder@co.lotw.mn.us

Please call ahead to assure the availability of staff to process your in-person request.