Berrien County Land Contract Form (Michigan)
All Berrien County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:
Land Contract Form
Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Berrien County compliant document last validated/updated 6/5/2025
Land Contract Guidelines
Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Berrien County compliant document last validated/updated 6/12/2025
Completed Example of the Land Contract Document
Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Berrien County compliant document last validated/updated 2/28/2025
The following Michigan and Berrien County supplemental forms are included as a courtesy with your order:
When using these Land Contract forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Berrien County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:
Berrien County Register of Deeds
701 Main St, St. Joseph, Michigan 49085
Hours: 8:30 to 5:00 M-F
Phone: (269) 983-7111 Ext. 8562
Local jurisdictions located in Berrien County include:
- Baroda
- Benton Harbor
- Berrien Center
- Berrien Springs
- Bridgman
- Buchanan
- Coloma
- Eau Claire
- Galien
- Hagar Shores
- Harbert
- Lakeside
- New Buffalo
- New Troy
- Niles
- Riverside
- Saint Joseph
- Sawyer
- Sodus
- Stevensville
- Three Oaks
- Union Pier
- Watervliet
How long does it take to get my forms?
Forms are available immediately after submitting payment.
How do I get my forms, are they emailed?
Immediately after you submit payment, the Berrien County forms you order will be available for download directly from your account. You can then download the forms to your computer. If you do not already have an account, one will be created for you as part of the order process, and your login details will be provided to you. If you encounter any issues accessing your forms, please reach out to our support team for assistance. Forms are NOT emailed to you.
What does "validated/updated" mean?
This indicates the most recent date when at least one of the following occurred:
- Updated: The document was updated or changed to remain compliant.
- Validated: The document was examined by an attorney or staff, or it was successfully recorded in Berrien County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Berrien County?
Yes. Our form blanks are guaranteed to meet or exceed all formatting requirements set forth by Berrien County including margin requirements, content requirements, font and font size requirements.
Can the Land Contract forms be re-used?
Yes. You can re-use the forms for your personal use. For example, if you have more than one property in Berrien County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Berrien County.
What are supplemental forms?
Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Michigan or Berrien County. These could be tax related, informational, or even as simple as a coversheet. Supplemental forms are provided for free with your order where available.
What type of files are the forms?
All of our Berrien County Land Contract forms are PDFs. You will need to have or get Adobe Reader to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.
Do I need any special software to use these forms?
You will need to have Adobe Reader installed on your computer to use our forms. Adobe Reader is free software that most computers already have installed.
Do I have to enter all of my property information online?
No. The blank forms are downloaded to your computer and you fill them out there, at your convenience.
Can I save the completed form, email it to someone?
Yes, you can save your deed form at any point with your information in it. The forms can also be emailed, blank or complete, as attachments.
Are there any recurring fees involved?
No. Nothing to cancel, no memberships, no recurring fees.
A land contract is a written legal contract used to purchase real estate; it is typically used in owner/seller financing. Once recorded it (shall have the same force and effect, as to subsequent encumbrancers and purchasers, as the recording of deeds and mortgages as now provided by law.) (565.354 section 4)
565.358 Land contract mortgage; document; form; execution, acknowledgement, and
recording; identification of encumbered interest; perfection of mortgage; priority.
Sec. 8.
(1) Any document that would be sufficient to constitute a real estate mortgage upon an interest in
real property shall constitute a land contract mortgage upon the vendor's or vendee's interest.
(2) A land contract mortgage shall be in a form and shall be executed, acknowledged, and recorded in the same manner as provided for real estate mortgages.
(3) A land contract mortgage need not specifically identify the interest encumbered as a vendor's or vendee's interest.
(4) A land contract mortgage that is recorded in the manner provided for real estate mortgages is perfected for all purposes, without filing, under the uniform commercial code, 1962 PA 172, MCL 440.1101 to 440.11102, any notice to the nonmortgaging vendor or the nonmortgaging vendee or the taking of possession of the original land contract document or otherwise. A land contract mortgage perfected in accordance with this section takes priority as a matter of law over all other mortgages, liens, security, or other interests in such vendor's or vendee's interests except those as to which a real estate mortgage would be subordinate.
565.359 Land contract mortgage; enforcement; foreclosure; additional remedies.
Sec. 9. (1) A land contract mortgage may be enforced in accordance with any existing procedure for the enforcement of a real estate mortgage, including, without limitation, foreclosure by advertisement and judicial foreclosure. Upon completion of a foreclosure by advertisement or judicial foreclosure of a land contract mortgage and the expiration of the applicable redemption period, the successful bidder at foreclosure shall succeed to all of the mortgaged interests of the respective foreclosed vendor or vendee.
(2) Other rights and remedies that may be available to a real estate mortgagee, including, without
limitation, future advance mortgages, assignments of rents, or receiverships may, in a proper case, be applied in favor of a land contract mortgagee.
(3) All remedies that existed before the effective date of sections 6 to 11 shall continue to apply. However, a land contract mortgage made pursuant to this act may, at the option of the land contract mortgagee, also be enforced as provided in this act.
Use this form for vacant land, residential housing, apartments/rental property, small commercial and condominiums.
For a Discharge of Land Contract, see Discharge of Mortgage form.
(Michigan LC Package includes form, guidelines, and completed example) For use in Michigan only.
Our Promise
The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Berrien 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 Berrien County Land Contract 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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June 24th, 2025
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June 23rd, 2025
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June 19th, 2025
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October 15th, 2021
So far it seems good. I am still trying to send information to this company so they can help me with the deed.
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April 1st, 2019
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March 20th, 2019
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December 12th, 2019
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April 13th, 2019
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August 27th, 2021
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February 13th, 2019
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April 21st, 2021
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