Saint Joseph County Notice of Commencement Form (Michigan)

All Saint Joseph County specific forms and documents listed below are included in your immediate download package:

Notice of Commencement Form

Saint Joseph County Notice of Commencement Form

Fill in the blank form formatted to comply with all recording and content requirements.
Included Saint Joseph County compliant document last validated/updated 5/15/2025

Notice of Commencement Guide

Saint Joseph County Notice of Commencement Guide

Line by line guide explaining every blank on the form.
Included Saint Joseph County compliant document last validated/updated 3/7/2025

Completed Example of the Notice of Commencement Form

Saint Joseph County Completed Example of the Notice of Commencement Form

Example of a properly completed form for reference.
Included Saint Joseph County compliant document last validated/updated 5/13/2025

When using these Notice of Commencement forms, the subject real estate must be physically located in Saint Joseph County. The executed documents should then be recorded in the following office:

St. Joseph County Register of Deeds

Historic Courthouse - 125 W Main St / PO Box 388, Centreville, Michigan 49032

Hours: M-F 8:00am to 5:00pm

Phone: (269) 467-5552

Local jurisdictions located in Saint Joseph County include:

  • Burr Oak
  • Centreville
  • Colon
  • Constantine
  • Leonidas
  • Mendon
  • Nottawa
  • Sturgis
  • Three Rivers
  • White Pigeon

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 Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph County using our eRecording service.
Are these forms guaranteed to be recordable in Saint Joseph County?

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

Can the Notice of Commencement 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 Saint Joseph County that you need to transfer you would only need to order our forms once for all of your properties in Saint Joseph County.

What are supplemental forms?

Often when a deed is recorded, additional documents are required by Michigan or Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph County Notice of Commencement 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.

Using a Notice of Commencement in Michigan

A Notice of Commencement is a form executed by a land owner or lessee before the start of any actual physical improvement to real property. The owner or lessee contracting for the improvements must record a Notice of Commencement in the office of the register of deeds for each county in which the real property to be improved is located. M.C.L. 570.1108(1). Recording a Notice of Commencement also starts the clock ticking for the contractor, subcontractor, or supplier to file his or her Notice of Furnishing.

The notice of commencement must contain the following information: (1) the legal description of the real property on which the improvement is to be made; (2) the name, address, and capacity of the owner or lessee of the real property contracting for the improvement; (3) the name and address of the fee owner of the real property, if the person contracting for the improvement is a land contract vendee or lessee; (4) the name and address of the owner's or lessee's designee; and (5) the name and address of the general contractor, if any. M.C.L. 570.1108(2).

Even if parts of the Notice are inaccurate, any incorrect information contained in the Notice of Commencement furnished by or for an owner or lessee will not harmfully affect the rights of a lien claimant as against the property of that owner or lessee. M.C.L. 570.1108(4).

As a property owner, lessee, or designee, you also have a responsibility to provide a copy of the Notice of Commencement, together with an attached blank Notice of Furnishing form, to the subcontractor, supplier, or laborer requesting a copy of the Notice of Commencement within 10 days after the date of mailing of a written request by certified mail from a subcontractor, supplier, or laborer. M.C.L. 570.1108(5).

The Notice should also be posted on the actual jobsite. The owner, lessee, or designee must post and keep posted a copy of the notice of commencement in a conspicuous place on the real property described in the notice during the actual physical improvement to the real property. M.C.L. 570.1108(6).

As a reminder, this article is posted for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon as a substitute for the advice of an attorney. Please contact a Michigan-licensed attorney with questions about the Notice of Commencement or any other issue related to liens.

Our Promise

The documents you receive here will meet, or exceed, the Saint Joseph 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 Saint Joseph County Notice of Commencement 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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