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The County Clerk and Recorder is responsible for maintaining property records in Jo Daviess County.
Recording Fees
DEEDS
1. For recording deeds or other instruments - $81.00
2. Leases (Leases & Lease Releases, etc.) $81.00
3. Mortgages (Mortgages, Trust Deeds, Releases, Assignments, etc.) $81.00
4. Easements (Easements & Easement Releases, etc.) $81.00
5. Irregular Documents $102.00
Any document presented that does not conform to the following standards, even if it may qualify for another document class, may be recorded this document class:
The document shall consist of one or more individual sheets measuring 8.5 inches by 11 inches, not permanently bound and not a continuous form. Graphic displays accompanying a document to be recorded that measure up to 11 inches by 17 inches shall be recorded without charging an additional fee.
The document shall be legibly printed in black ink, by hand, type or computer. Signatures and dates may be in contrasting colors if they will reproduce clearly.
The document shall be on white paper of not less than 20 pound weight and shall have a clean margin of at least one-half inch on the top, the bottom and each side. Margins may be used for non-essential notations that will not affect the validity of the document, including but not limited to form number, page numbers and customer notations.
The first page of the document shall contain a blank space, measuring at least 3 inches by 5 inches, from the upper right hand corner.
The document shall not have any attachment stapled or otherwise affixed to any page.
6. Blanket Recordings: $102.00
For any document that makes specific reference to more than 5 tax parcels or property identification numbers, or makes reference to 5 or more document numbers
7. Miscellaneous: $81.00
Documents not otherwise falling within classifications (1) through (6) and are not otherwise exempted documents, i.e. Real Estate Transfer on Death Instruments, Real Estate Transfer on Death Acceptances, & Lis Pendens notice and release.
Maps or Plats of additions, subdivisions, or otherwise $102.00
Exempted from the Rental Housing Support Program $62.00
Documents that do not affect interest in real property and documents recorded by units of government. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
Documents recorded by any Federal, State, or Local Governmental Entity (All Classes)
Re-recording of an Original Document (All Classes)
Public Utility Easements (Easements Class)
Affidavits that do not affect interest in real property (Miscellaneous Class)
Memorandum of Judgment and Release (Miscellaneous Class)
Ordinances (Miscellaneous Class)
Annexations & De-annexations (must include map) (Miscellaneous Class)
Articles of Incorporation and related documents (Miscellaneous Class)
Out of county Birth, Death, and Marriage Records (Miscellaneous Class)
Notice of Probate, Power of Attorney (Miscellaneous Class)
COPIES
All office records - $0.50 per side
All mailed records - $1.00 per side
All FAXed records - $2.00 per side
All emailed records - $1.00 per side
NON-STANDARD DOCUMENTS
A document must measure 8.5" x 11" and have a blank 3" x 5" recording space in the upper right corner to be classified as standard. Please call the Recorder's Office if you need to check on the increased fee for recording non-standard documents.
As of August 1, 2018 the following applies to Non-Standard documents:
State Tax Liens (additional names $1 each) ......... $11.00
Federal Tax Liens (additional names $1 each) ....... $33.00
Uniform Commercial Code (all types) ................... $62.00
Plats of Subdivision (Condo) max 30X36 submit original with 1 signed copy .....$93.00
Documents referencing 6 or more tax Parcel Identification Numbers ......$93.00
Documents referencing 6 or more recorded document numbers ............$93.00
Documents not conforming as in paragraphs 1 through 5 below ............$93.00
1. The document shall consist of one or more individual sheets measuring 8.5 inches by 11 inches, not permanently bound and not a continuous form. Graphic displays accompanying a document to be recorded that measure up to 11 inches by 17 inches shall be recorded without charging an additional fee.
2. The document shall be legibly printed in black ink, by hand, type or computer. Signatures and dates may be in contrasting colors if they will reproduce clearly.
3. The document shall be on white paper of not less than 20 pound weight and shall have a clean margin of at least one-half inch on the top, the bottom and each side. Margins may be used for non-essential notations that will not affect the validity of the document, including but not limited to form number, page numbers and customer notations.
4. The first page of the document shall contain a blank space, measuring at least 3 inches by 5 inches, from the upper right hand comer.
5. The document shall not have an attachment stapled or otherwise affixed to any page.
(Pages may be stapled together.)
County recording fees are subject to change without notice. We recommend to contact the local recorder's office to verify this information.
Document Formatting Requirements
Documents should consist of one or more individual sheets of white paper measuring 8.5 x 11 inches. Individual sheets should not be permanently bound or in a continuous form. Graphic displays measuring up to 11 x 17 inches accompanying a document will be recorded with the document without additional fees. If an attached rider needs to be recorded with a deed, the rider should be permanently attached as an additional page on the back of the deed.
Use legible printing or typing, black ink, and a font size of at least 12 point. Signatures and dates can be in contrasting colors so long as they will reproduce clearly.
Deeds presented to the county recorder should have a blank space measuring 3 x 5 inches in the upper right corner on the first page, set aside for the recorders use. Failure to include this will not affect the validity of the deed, but will incur additional fees. All other margins in the document should be at least .5 of an inch and free from all markings.
When a deed is made a matter of record, it shall have the names of the parties signing the instrument typed or printed below or next to the signatures, including the witnesses, if any, and the names of the parties or officers taking acknowledgment.
Signatures of the parties executing the instrument shall be acknowledged by a notary public.
A deed must contain the name and residence of the grantor, the consideration exchanged for the property, any covenants of warranty, the grantees name and address, and a legal description of the real property, including street address and PIN. In addition, the grantors original signature must be present.
Provide the name and address of the owner to whom subsequent tax bills are to be sent.
Include the name and address of the person who prepared the deed.
Whenever a metes and bound description is used in the legal description of real property, the metes and bounds description should contain the section, township, and range with an identifiable point of beginning.
An affidavit for purposes of the plat act is required to accompany a deed when 1) a metes and bounds legal description is given, 2) when roadway easements and right of way (ingress or egress) are designated, or 3) when a division of land five acres more or less is noted on a deed of transfer.
An Illinois Real Estate Transfer Declaration (PTAX-203) must be filed with deeds and any non-exempt transactions. The information requested on this form is requested by the Illinois Real Estate Transfer Tax law. All parties involved in the transaction must complete the form truthfully. This form is used to collect sales data and to determine if a sale can be used in assessment ratio studies. It is also used to compute equalization factors, which are used to help achieve a statewide uniform valuation of properties based on their fair market value.
If the property transfer is exempt from transfer tax, the PTAX-203 form is not required. A specific exemption number should be noted on the deed presented for recording. The Illinois Department of Revenue webpage has a list of exempt transactions. The form can be completed online or as a hard copy.
Effect of Recording:
Deeds, mortgages, and other instruments of writing that are authorized to be recorded will take effect and be in force from and after the time they are filed for record as to all creditors and subsequent purchasers, without notice. All such deeds and title papers will be judged void as to all such creditors and subsequent purchasers, without notice, until the same is filed for record.
From the time they are filed for record, deeds, mortgages, and other instruments of writing related to real estate shall be deemed notice to subsequent purchasers and creditors, though not acknowledged or proven according to law; but the same shall not be read as evidence, unless their execution be proved in the manner required by the rules of evidence applicable to such writings, so as to supply the defects of acknowledgment or proof.