A county recorder’s job entails keeping public records of actions and transactions that are required by local, state, regional, and national governments. Governments in some countries, including the United States, keep track of these actions and transactions at the county level. The county recorder is a person who is appointed or elected to manage the various documents that make up a community’s records. This office is responsible for a wide range of documents. While the functions of a county clerk and recorder may be similar or even combined into one office, each office has its own set of responsibilities.
The position of county recorder may be filled by election or appointment by a higher government authority, depending on local laws. In some counties, the recorder and county clerk may work in the same office, or in smaller towns and communities, they may even be the same person. He or she may have a staff of hundreds in larger cities to help process the large number of registrations, licenses, and other legal documents that the office handles. Affidavits, mechanic liens, land surveys, military discharges, and various types of corporate papers are among the documents that the county recorder’s office may handle.
The sale or purchase of property, various legal actions between certain parties, marriage licenses, and a variety of other legal documents that require an official record are all examples of legal actions and transactions that are typically recorded by a county recorder. He or she can also look over all liens, mortgages, and deeds and record them. A recorder typically does not need to know anything about the processing of deeds, loans, or other similar documents because they are not concerned with the contents of the document. Real estate transactions, land titles, and land plats are typically recorded by county recorders. This person is also in charge of collecting any fees associated with the handling of these documents.
In some cases, a county recorder is not the same as a county clerk. The office of county clerk and county recorder may be held by the same person in some smaller counties and regions. A person in this position may also be in charge of collecting any state or local fees associated with document issuance. While these two positions may be combined in some towns or communities, the duties of each office are distinct. A county clerk, for example, may be in charge of organizing and overseeing elections, whereas a recorder may not.