Visit a Recorder's Office

• 1). Visit the Recorder's Office in the county in which the property is held. To locate the county name, conduct a search online for the name of the city plus the word "county." After locating the name of the county, search for the Recorder's Office address.
  
  
• 2). Search the deed records. More contemporary records, usually after 1982, are searchable on the computers in the office. You must view older records within grantor and grantee books or on microfilm.
  
  
• 3). Read the located deed to determine the name of the person with ownership.
  
  

Mail in a Search Request

• 1). Write to the County Recorder's Office. To locate the county name, conduct a search online for the name of the city plus the word "county." After locating the name of the county, search for the Recorder's Office address.
  
  
• 2). Request a search of deeds. Include as much information as possible about the property address, the legal description if known or a property document number. Include your contact information with phone number in case of questions. Include a copy payment with the search request. Document copies range in price from $5 per document and up, as of 2011. Certified documents require an additional fee. See the specific county for pricing as all counties are different.
  
  
• 3). Mail the request to the County Recorder's Office and wait for a response.