Iowa Forms

Palo Alto County Contractor Notice to Owner Form

Palo Alto County Contractor Notice to Owner Form

Palo Alto County Contractor Notice to Owner Form

Fill in the blank Contractor Notice to Owner form formatted to comply with all Iowa recording and content requirements.

Document Last Validated 5/2/2025
Palo Alto County Contractor Notice to Owner Guide

Palo Alto County Contractor Notice to Owner Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 6/9/2025
Palo Alto County Completed Example of the Contractor Notice to Owner Document

Palo Alto County Completed Example of the Contractor Notice to Owner Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 4/28/2025

All 3 documents above included • One-time purchase • No recurring fees

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

Important: Your property must be located in Palo Alto County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

Where to Record Your Documents

Palo Alto County Recorder
Address:
Courthouse - 1010 Broadway / PO Box 248
Emmetsburg, Iowa 50536

Hours: 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday

Phone: (712) 852-3701

Recording Tips for Palo Alto County:
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned
  • Leave recording info boxes blank - the office fills these
  • Mornings typically have shorter wait times than afternoons

Cities and Jurisdictions in Palo Alto County

Properties in any of these areas use Palo Alto County forms:

  • Ayrshire
  • Curlew
  • Cylinder
  • Emmetsburg
  • Graettinger
  • Mallard
  • Ruthven
  • West Bend

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Palo Alto County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Palo Alto County forms will be in your account ready to download to your computer. An account is created for you during checkout if you don't have one. Forms are NOT emailed.

Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Palo Alto County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Palo Alto County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Palo Alto County you only need to order once.

What do I need to use these forms?

The forms are PDFs that you fill out on your computer. You'll need Adobe Reader (free software that most computers already have). You do NOT enter your property information online - you download the blank forms and complete them privately on your own computer.

Are there any recurring fees?

No. This is a one-time purchase. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.

How much does it cost to record in Palo Alto County?

Recording fees in Palo Alto County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (712) 852-3701 for current fees.

Questions answered? Let's get started!

Liability of an Owner to the Original Contractor in Iowa

An owner of a building, land, or improvement upon which a subcontractor's mechanic's lien may be filed, is not required to pay the original contractor any compensation for work done or material furnished for the building, land, or improvement until the expiration of ninety (90) days after the completion of the building or improvement. I.C. 572.13(1). However, payment may be due sooner if the original contractor furnishes the owner with one of the following: a) receipts and waivers for any claims for mechanics' liens, signed by all persons who furnished material or performed labor for the building, land, or improvement; or b) good and sufficient bond to be approved by the owner, on the condition that the owner will be relieved from liability for any loss which the owner may sustain by reason of the filing of mechanics' liens by subcontractors. I.C. 572.13(1).

An original contractor entering into a contract for an owner-occupied dwelling and who has contracted or will contract with a subcontractor to provide labor or furnish material for the dwelling must include the following notice in any written contract with the owner and shall provide the owner with a copy of the written contract:

"Persons or companies furnishing labor or materials for the improvement of real property may enforce a lien upon the improved property if they are not paid for their contributions, even if the parties have no direct contractual relationship with the owner."

I.C. 572.13(2).

If there is no written contract between the original contractor and the dwelling owner, the original contractor must, within ten (10) days of commencement of work on the dwelling, provide a written notice to the dwelling owner stating the name and address of all subcontractors that the contractor intends to use for the construction and, that the subcontractors or suppliers may have lien rights in the event they are not paid for their labor or material used on this site. Id. The notice must be updated as additional subcontractors and suppliers are used from the names disclosed on any earlier notices. Id.

This notice is essential as any original contractor who fails to provide notice is not entitled to lien rights. Id.

This article is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice from a legal professional. Please contact an Iowa attorney with any questions about sending notice to a dwelling owner or anything else with regard to mechanic's liens.

Important: Your property must be located in Palo Alto County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

This Contractor Notice to Owner meets all recording requirements specific to Palo Alto County.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Palo Alto County recording requirements for formatting. If there's an issue caused by our formatting, we'll make it right and refund your payment.

Save Time and Money

Get your Palo Alto County Contractor Notice to Owner form done right the first time with Deeds.com Uniform Conveyancing Blanks. At Deeds.com, we understand that your time and money are valuable resources, and we don't want you to face a penalty fee or rejection imposed by a county recorder for submitting nonstandard documents. We constantly review and update our forms to meet rapidly changing state and county recording requirements for roughly 3,500 counties and local jurisdictions.

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January 20th, 2019

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January 15th, 2021

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September 4th, 2023

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Reply from Staff

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We understand and appreciate your concern regarding the formatting and size limitations of certain fields, especially the 'property description' field. Our forms are designed to adhere to specific formatting requirements that are often mandated for legal compliance. Making direct alterations to the document can result in them becoming non-conforming, which is why we advise customers to use an exhibit page when their legal description is extensive or does not fit.

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