Geauga County Recorder Information

The recorder is responsible for maintaining real property records in Geauga County.

These government fees are separate from any Deeds.com service fees. Confirm current charges with the recorder's office.

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.

The auditor's transfer fee is 50 cents per parcel, and the conveyance fee is $4 per $1,000.

Checks should be made payable to the Geauga County Recorder. Separate checks are needed for the recorder's fees and auditor's fees. Include a self-addressed stamped envelope.

If you have questions regarding recording fees or other fees due upon recording, contact the county recorder at (440) 279-2020.

Confirm current requirements with the recorder's office before submitting documents.

Deeds can be mailed or recorded in person. When mailing in deeds, include a cover letter that explains briefly what you want done. Include your name and contact information in the cover letter. If mailing in more than one deed, specify the order in which they are to be recorded. Documents must meet the Ohio Revised Code standards or they will be returned unrecorded.

* Submit original documents on white 8.5 x 11 inch paper or 8.5 x 14 inch paper.

* The font size should be a minimum of 10 point, printed or typed in blue or black ink. Do not use any highlighting on the document. Font should be Times New Roman, Helvetica, or Palatino.

* Provide a blank 3-inch margin at the top of the first page. This area is reserved for the County Recorder, the County Auditor, and the County Engineer. Subsequent top margins should be 1.5 inches. Bottom and side margins should be a least 1 inch for all pages.

* The grantor's signature must be acknowledged before a clerk of court or another person authorized to take acknowledgments.

* Beneath all illegible signatures, the name should be printed or typed.

* Include the name of the person who prepared the document, given in the following form: "This document 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.


RECORDING IN PERSON

Before going to the Recorder's Office, take your deed to the Geauga County Auditor's office at 231 Main Street, Suite 1A.

At the Auditor's Office, you will complete and sign either a "Conveyance fee form" or an "Exempt form." Conveyance fees are $4 per $1,000 of valuation. Transfer fees are $ .50 per parcel. The Auditor will stamp the deed, which you will then take to the Recorder's Office, which is down the hall from the Auditor's office.

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.