You are NOT on the Defiance County official website, you are on Deeds.com, a private website that is not affiliated with any government agency.
The recorder is responsible for maintaining real property records in Defiance County.
Recording Fees
Defiance County will no longer accept any real estate transfers by mail.
The fee to record and index a deed, mortgage, affidavit, agreement, annexation, easement, certificate of transfer, land contract, lease, mechanic's lien, partnership, trust document, or power of attorney is $34 for the first two pages. Each page thereafter is $8.
No. of Pages....Total Fee
1 & 2...................$34.00
3............................$42.00
4............................$50.00
5............................$58.00
6............................$66.00
7............................$74.00
8............................$82.00
9............................$90.00
10...........................$98.00
11...........................$106.00
12...........................$114.00
13...........................$122.00
14...........................$130.00
15...........................$138.00 ETC.
Separate release, partial release, or assignment
First two pages-$34.00
Each additional page-$8.00
If a document does not meet the requirements, it can be recorded for an additional $20.
Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care:
Documents with one or two pages-$34.00
Documents with three pages-$36.00
Documents with four or more pages-$40.00 max
A certified copy is $2 per page.
Include a self-addressed stamped envelope with the proper amount of postage.
County recording fees are subject to change without notice. For the most current fees and further information, contact the local office directly.
Document Formatting Requirements
* Submit original documents on white 8.5 x 11 inch paper or 8.5 x 14 inch paper.
* Use black or blue ink and a font size of at least 10 point. Don't include any highlighting on the document. Font used should be Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Palatino.
* On the top of the first page, provide a 3 inch margin. This space is reserved for the recorder, auditor, and engineer. On the top of each remaining page, a 1.5 inch margin is required. Side and bottom margins should be at least 1 inch.
* The grantor must sign the document and acknowledge it before a clerk of court or another person authorized to take acknowledgments. If the signatures in the document are considered to be illegible, the name should be printed or typed beneath it.
* The name of the person who prepared the deed should be listed, which can be done in the following format: "This instrument was prepared by NAME."
* The conveyance document presented to the recorder should bear the stamp of the county auditor stating that the document has been examined and that the grantor is in compliance with 319.202 of the Ohio Revised Code.
* Documents of conveyance should state the marital status of the grantor.
* The total consideration paid is required to be included on real property documents.
* The grantee's address (for tax mailing purposes) needs to be included with transfers of title.
* A legal description of the real property is required, as well as any prior recorded information.
* A recorded grant should include a reference by volume and page to the record of the deed or other recorded instrument under which the grantor claims title, but the omission of the reference will not affect the validity.
Until a document is recorded, it is fraudulent insofar as it relates to a subsequent bona fide purchaser of the same real estate having, at the time of purchase, no knowledge of the existence of the former deed.