It used to be the case that important legal documents were stored in filing cabinets at the County Recorder’s office and had to be tracked down and photocopied every time you needed a copy for any reason. Now, these files are stored in electronic databases and the clerk working the desk can print a copy instantly. That raises the question: why is it important you have a copy of your home deed? If they’re so easily available, why can you not just go down to the Recorder and pick one up every time you need one?
Aside from the fact that the government offices will charge you between $1 and $10 every time you go in to make a copy, there are some tangible reasons that you should keep a copy with you at home, in a safe, filing cabinet, or other secure location.
Driver’s licenses: In addition to the plethora of other documents that you have to produce when you apply for a new driver’s license or change your address, you must also present proof of residence. A home deed serves this purpose nicely.
School registration: Like with driver’s licenses, you must present proof of address when you register your kids for school. In many cases, your government-issued ID isn’t enough and you must provide the deed to your house.
To provide evidence of ownership in court cases: There are some circumstances in which you would need to establish to the court that you are the legal owner of a property, such as where the property was in dispute. In most cases, a notarized deed will fulfill that requirement. In other circumstances, lien holders come seeking their claims and you have to be able to produce the document proving that you’re not liable for them.
Records could be destroyed, corrupted, lost, etc.: We like to imagine that the electronic records at government offices are permanent and infallible, but that’s far from the truth. In reality, the most common problem with electronic record-keeping is that the files become corrupted and there’s no intact backup version. It can be years before anyone even notices the files are corrupt. If your deed becomes corrupt, it would be greatly beneficial to have a copy on hand so that you can certify ownership of your home.
Record Transfer Service can get you a copy of your deed. Ensure that the county clerk has properly recorded the deed: Sometimes the people keying information into the computers, being tired, overworked, and underpaid, mess up and record the information wrong, making the record invalid or misplaced. If you have your own copy on hand, you will be able to easily fix what would be a major inconvenience if you didn’t have a copy.
It will make you feel better to have it around: There’s something about having all of your documents secure in one place that gives you a secure feeling. If anything goes wrong; if the system breaks; if you lose your wallet, ID, or anything else, you will at least have all of the documentation necessary to repair the situation and move on with your life. It can be immensely frustrating when you don’t have everything together.
Don’t be sorry. Get a certified copy of your deed today. Record Transfer Service
