4. Deeds, liens, foreclosures, title history

Probate records are available for examination of all persons when not in use by the judge.  Ala. Code § 12-13-50.

Recorders shall permit memoranda, transcripts, and copies of the public records in their offices to be made by photography or otherwise for the purpose of examining titles to real estate described in the public records, making abstracts of title or guaranteeing or insuring the titles of the real estate, or building and maintaining title and abstract plants, subject to reasonable rules and regulations as are necessary for the protection of the records and to prevent interference with the regular discharge of the duties of the recorders and their employees. AS 44.25.120(c).

(This section is blank. See the point above.)

Deeds to state property are filed in the office of the Commissioner of State Lands and are considered public records. Ark. Code Ann. § 22-5-411. Liens on real property are public records once they are filed. Ark. Code Ann. § 18-40-102.
Although a county clerk does not have to perform a lien search under the FOIA, such records must be made available for citizens to inspect. Ark. Op. Att’y Gen. No. 90-261.

Public.

(This section is blank. See the point above.)

(This section is blank. See the point above.)

Deeds, liens, etc. are subject to the Act’s disclosure requirements.  The Georgia Superior Court Clerks’ Cooperative Authority maintains searchable online databases of such records.

Personal information contained in the Department of Land and Natural Resources, Land Division (“DLNR”) land records that carry a significant privacy interest, such as social security numbers, home addresses, and telephone numbers, ethnicity, and dates of birth, may generally be redacted under the UIPA’s privacy exception. There generally is no public interest in disclosure of this type of information that would outweigh the privacy interest in such information. Certain other records or information in which individuals may have a significant privacy interest must be disclosed, however, where those records or information shed light on DLNR’s functions, such as its duty ensuring the genealogy of land owners and transferees. DLNR may, prior to disclosure, redact all information contained in the vital records except that information necessary to establish genealogy for purposes of DLNR’s functions. Personal Information and Vital Records in Land Records, OIP Op. Ltr. No. 07-07 (Apr. 18, 2007).

Certain records of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association are exempt from disclosure under Idaho Code § 74-106(20).  In addition, certain sale or purchase records and mortgage portfolio loan documents required to be submitted to or inspected by a public agency are exempt from disclosure under Idaho Code § 74-107(2).

Open.

The Access to Public Records Act does not specifically address deeds, liens, foreclosures or title histories. Deeds and liens are filed with the county recorder’s office for the county in which the property is located, and thus would be subject to public access under the general provisions of the Act. Foreclosure records are available from the court in which the foreclosure is pending.

Public information available in the office of the County Recorder.

Deeds, liens and foreclosure history are public records subject to disclosure. Data Tree, LLC v. Meek, 109 P.3d 1226, 279 Kan. 445 (2005).

Open.

No specific provision, but real estate deeds, liens, foreclosures, title history should be treated as a public record and should be produced to a requester absent an applicable exemption, if they otherwise fall within the definition of “public record.”

Registry of deeds records are generally subject to particular statutes governing access and fees.  See MacImage of Me., LLC v. Androscoggin Cty, 2012 ME 44, 40 A.3d 975.  Any record filed with a registry of deeds is available for public inspection and copying.  33 M.R.S.A. §§ 651, 751.  The fees for copying these records are not limited by the FOAA and are, rather, set by statutes that apply exclusively to the registry of deeds.  Id.  Individuals may request that personal information (e.g., social security numbers) be removed from registry records.  Id. § 651-B.

Generally, title information, previous ownership, assessed values and other information pertaining to real property is also available through Maryland's State Department of Assessments and Taxation website. Specific deed and encumbrance information is available through the county land records division in which the property is located or on the Internet at mdlandrec.net.

A municipal assessor’s list of tax delinquents is public record.  Attorney Gen. v. Collector of Lynn, 377 Mass. 151, 157-58, 385 N.E.2d 505, 509 (1979).  So are names of taxpayers, descriptions of their property, and valuations of the property. Id. (citing Hardman v. Collector of Taxes of North Adams, 317 Mass. 439, 443, 58 N.E.2d 848 (1945)). For a fee, anyone can obtain “a certificate itemizing all amounts payable on account of tax liens on a piece of property.”  Collector of Lynn, 377 Mass. at 157–58 (citing G.L. c. 60, §§ 23, 23A).

Names and addresses of those involved in the conveyance of real property are open to public inspection in the Office of the Register of Deeds. Mich. Comp. Laws § 565.25. Mich. Comp. Laws § 600.2567 provides that a register of deeds is entitled to a fee of $1 per page of any copies of any records of papers. The Inspection of Records Act (IORA) allows the register of deeds to provide paper copies in response to a request for a copy of the records, even if the register keeps the original records on microfilm. See Lapeer Cty. Abstract & Title v. Lapeer Cty. Register of Deeds, 264 Mich. App. 167, 691 N.W.2d 11 (2004).

These data are public, if filed with the relevant county office. See generally Minn. Stat. § 13.03.

Open.

Every instrument that conveys any real estate must be recorded in the office of the recorder of the county in which such real estate is located. Mo.Rev.Stat. § 442.380. In addition, foreclosure notices must be publicly published. Mo.Rev.Stat. § 443.320.

Open.

Are public records.

There is no statutory or case law addressing the issue

These records are available in public county registries of deeds.

These records are “government records” as defined by OPRA.

There are no exceptions for deeds, liens, foreclosures and title history under NMSA 1978 § 14-2-1.  In addition, the commissioner of public lands must provide copies of any records kept by the state land office when requested. NMSA 1978 § 19-1-21.

Public.

Generally open.

Recorded instruments such as deeds and mortgages are public records. State ex rel. Data Trace Info. Servs., L.L.C. v. Cuyahoga Cty. Fiscal Officer, 131 Ohio St. 3d 255, 263, 963 N.E.2d 1288, 1297, 2012-Ohio-753, ¶ 41(written instruments electronically filed with County recorder are subject to Public Records Act); See also Lorain County Title Co. v. Essex, 53 Ohio App.2d 274, 373 N.E.2d 1261 (Ohio Ct. App. 1976) (holding that microfilm copies of such records were public records because “the information contained on [the] film is from public records.”).

Deeds, liens, foreclosures and title histories are maintained with the County Clerk and are open for public inspection.

There is no statutory or case law specifically addressing this issue.

Under the old Act, deeds and mortgages to which the agency is not a party are not public records. See, e.g., Inkpen v. Roberts, 862 A.2d 700 (Pa. Commw. Ct. 2004). However, under Inkpen, the requesting party bore the burden of proving that the record was a public record. Id. Under the new law, deeds and mortgages are presumptively accessible.

There is no statutory or case law addressing this issue.

Deeds, liens, mortgages and similar instruments conveying an estate or creating an interest must be filed to be valid.  Since notice is the object of the filing, these records are public.  S.C. Code Ann. § 30-7-10.

Open

Generally open.

Not specifically addressed.

Not addressed.

All deeds, contracts of sale, leases, and other documents or copies of same conveying land or an interest therein to the state, except for transportation rights-of-way, leases, and conveyances, shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state. 3 V.S.A. § 103(a).

All deeds, contracts of sale, leases, and other documents conveying land or an interest in land from the state as grantor, except for transportation rights-of-way, leases, and conveyances, shall be made out in duplicate by the authorized agent of the state. The original shall be delivered to the grantee and the duplicate copy, so marked, shall be filed in the office of the secretary of state. 3 V.S.A. § 103(b).

For individuals, recorded deeds, mortgage documents, easements, liens, powers of attorney, and other document recordings are managed by the Town Clerk in each Vermont township. Few townships provide online access.

Such records are presumed open when in the possession of a public body subject to the Act. Access to such records when located in the Office of a Clerk of a Virginia circuit court are open pursuant to Va. Code Ann. § 17.1-208.

No specific authority.  See section on Appraisals.

(This section is blank. See the point above.)

Open.