Shelby County Contractor Notice to Owner Form

Last validated July 21, 2026 by our Forms Development Team

Shelby County Contractor Notice to Owner Form

Shelby 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 6/24/2026
Shelby County Contractor Notice to Owner Guide

Shelby County Contractor Notice to Owner Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.

Document Last Validated 7/21/2026
Shelby County Completed Example of the Contractor Notice to Owner Document

Shelby County Completed Example of the Contractor Notice to Owner Document

Example of a properly completed form for reference.

Document Last Validated 7/2/2026

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

Immediate Download • Secure Checkout

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

Where to Record Your Documents

Shelby County Recorder

Address:
Courthouse - 612 Court St, Rm 201 / PO Box 67
Harlan, Iowa 51537-0067

Hours: 8:00am to 4:30pm M-F

Phone: (712) 755-5640

Recording Tips for Shelby County:
  • Bring your driver's license or state-issued photo ID
  • Verify all names are spelled correctly before recording
  • Both spouses typically need to sign if property is jointly owned
  • Recorded documents become public record - avoid including SSNs

Cities and Jurisdictions in Shelby County

Properties in any of these areas use Shelby County forms:

  • Defiance
  • Earling
  • Elk Horn
  • Harlan
  • Irwin
  • Kirkman
  • Panama
  • Portsmouth
  • Westphalia

View Complete Recorder Office Guide

Hours, fees, requirements, and more for Shelby County

How do I get my forms?

Forms are available for immediate download after payment. The Shelby 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 Shelby County?

Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable formatting requirements used for recording in Shelby County, including margin requirements, font requirements, and other layout standards. This guarantee applies to formatting, not to the legal sufficiency of information entered by the user or the suitability of a form for a particular transaction.

Can I reuse these forms?

Yes. You can reuse the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have multiple properties in Shelby 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 Shelby County?

Recording fees in Shelby County vary. Contact the recorder's office at (712) 755-5640 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 Shelby County to use these forms. Documents should be recorded at the office below.

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

Our Promise

The documents you receive here are guaranteed to meet or exceed the applicable Shelby County recording format requirements. If there is a rejection caused by our formatting, we will correct the issue or refund your payment. This guarantee applies to document formatting only and does not extend to information entered by the user, the selection of the form, or the legal effect of the completed document.

Save Time and Money

Get your Shelby 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.

4.8 out of 5 - ( 4764 Reviews )

Debra B.

April 14th, 2020

I was very glad to have this option for filing a form as it would have taken 4 days due to offices being closed to the public during the COVID 19 epidemic. I found the process to be fairly simple and I was able to file the document within 24 hours.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Carolyn S.

January 24th, 2021

This website was very helpful in explaining what a "gift" deed is and how to execute it. I didn't want to incur legal fees for a simple transaction and this website helped me avoid that.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

William S.

August 5th, 2020

Assuming that the downloads went without a hitch, the system was easy to follow and execute.

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

James C.

November 3rd, 2020

Deed was filed with county quickly. Great service!

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Ron D.

January 14th, 2019

No choice since the county does not seem to provide info you supplied.

Reply from Staff

Thank Ron, have a great day!

Paul S.

March 18th, 2021

Very satisfactory

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Barbara M.

November 21st, 2020

We love this service - so easy to use and quick. It is the second time we have used Deeds.com, in two different states. Wonderful service!

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Rajashree S.

January 2nd, 2019

Deed was easy to download and complete. Will use again if needed.

Reply from Staff

We appreciate your business and value your feedback. Thank you. Have a wonderful day!

Junior S.

December 22nd, 2022

Good

Reply from Staff

Thank you!

Gertrude H.

October 1st, 2019

I used this form and guide a couple years ago and found it helpful and easy to fill out. Had good results at the Recorder's Office. Would recommend Deeds.com.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Joseph E.

January 15th, 2023

At first I didn't trust all the 5 star reviews. So, I contacted lawyers to check their prices. The price being well over one hundred dollars made my mind up. I gave it a go, the form isn't hard and the directions are easy to follow. 5/5

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Don R.

January 26th, 2022

From Pennsylvania here. Documents are great and easy to fill out however you are lacking a couple of things. You only provide the option for a Grant Deed when you purchase by your county which is Mercer County for me. Why not give the ability to get a Warranty Deed that better protects the Grantee? Also, being from Pennsylvania and in a county that mined Buituminous Coal we are required to include the Coal Severance Notice and Bituminous Mine Subsidence and Land Conservation Act Notice. You can check the box on your Deed form that they are required and attached but you do not provide the verbiage or form for this. You state that you know what each county requires and include everything required but you do not include these two required Notices. This has been a requirement for years and the wording never changes. I had to look for these Notices and hand type this information and include it on another seperate page after the Notary section on the Deed. The Grantor has to sign the Coal Severance Notice and be witnessed by a Notary so I had to add another place for the Notary and will have to pay twice for witnessed signatures when it could have been included in your document. My Deed from 2003 was done that way and then the Notary statement after that so it was only one notarized witness of signature.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

Darren G.

December 10th, 2021

Your beneficiary deed sample contains a error of the LDPS designation. I copied the designation of LPDS instead of the correct designation

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!

James W.

June 10th, 2019

It turned out that I was able to search for what I needed on the local county website, which is what your site suggested be tried. I was impressed with your honesty and practical instructions for searches your site gave. I'm pretty sure I'll be back.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback James. Glad to hear we were able to steer you in the right direction.

David P.

February 23rd, 2019

Thank you. I was just looking but still think it is a great website. Used it a couple of years ago for a deed. Thank you.

Reply from Staff

Thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. Have a great day!