Searching for Property Records in Franklin County, Ohio

Ownership of real estate is a matter of public record. Documents such as deeds, as well as information about the property�s value and property taxes, can all be viewed by interested individuals. Here are a few tips on how to locate property information in Franklin County, Ohio.

What Offices Maintain Property Information in Franklin County, Ohio?

In Franklin County, two separate offices maintain information about local real estate. The Franklin County Recorder�s Office maintains records of deeds, mortgages, land contracts, certain affidavits, easements, certain zoning information, liens, among other information. The Franklin County Auditor�s Office maintains information including the value of a home and improvements, the address of a home�s owner, the address from which taxes are paid, maps and aerial views, the school district in which a property is located, and information about property taxes, including the tax district in which the property is situated. Excluding documentation that is too old to have been placed online, both the Franklin County Recorder�s Office and the Franklin County Auditor�s Office make their records available for public viewing online.

How Can I Search Franklin County Recorder Records?

The Franklin County Recorder�s Office website may be found here: www.franklincountyohio.gov/recorder/ . If you have not used the website before, you should select the option that states, �I would like to sign up for a new password to access the Recorded Documents.� Then sign up for a free password to access the Recorder�s Office documents online.

Once you have your free password, you can access the Web Services Main Menu of the Franklin County Recorder�s Office website, such as �Simple Search,� �Advanced Search,� and �Instrument Search.� A Simple Search allows a viewer to search by name and to limit the search according to date. An Instrument Search permits viewers to search for a particular document by instrument number, book and page number. An Advanced Search provides the most options for searching, allowing searches to be defined by name, the amount of consideration (money) involved, the legal description of the property, the date range between which the document was recorded, and the type of document sought.

Each of these searching options permits viewers to select the manner in which the search results will be returned: �Names Summary,� �Summary Data,� and �Detail Data.� The Names Summary is a good option if you wish only to view the list of names for which documents are recorded. For instance, entering a last name will result in a results list with all of the documents involving persons with that last name. You can then select the names of the individuals for which you wish to view more detailed information.

The Summary Data selection will return a list of results including the instrument number of each document, the date it was recorded, the names of the parties involved, the type of document, the number of pages, and sometimes the legal description of the property. From this list, viewers can select the items that interest them and then proceed to a Detail Data page for those items.

The Detail Data option provides the same information as the Summary Data selection, as well as links to display the documents. (If you experience difficulty viewing these documents, you may wish to check your computer security settings. Some security software inhibits the viewing of these documents.)

How Can I Search Franklin County Auditor Records?

The Franklin County Auditor�s website may be located here: www.franklincountyohio.gov/auditor/ . From the website homepage, viewers can click on the option �Property Search,� The Property Search option permits viewers to view detailed information about each property in Franklin County. After clicking on Property Search, viewers are given the option of searching by owner name, street address, or parcel ID for the property. If the precise address or parcel ID is used, the viewer will be taken directly to a summary of property information. If using the owner name option, the viewer will be given a list of results for the name in question, from which a specific property may be selected.

On the Summary page for each property, viewers can see the owner�s name and address, the address to which tax information is addressed, the legal description, information about the value of the property, the number and type of rooms, the last date of purchase and purchase price, the tax district, school district, zoning use, the amount of annual taxes incurred for the preceding year and the amount of taxes paid in the preceding year. Along the left side of the screen, viewers may click on various options to obtain even more detailed information. The �Residential� option provides specific information about living quarters such as basement size, heating and air conditioning, and size of garage. The �Improvements� option will display improvements made to the property. The �Sketch/Photo� option will display a photo of the property from the front as well as an aerial-view sketch of the property. The �Map (GIS)� option provides a map of the property in question and the surrounding area. The �Transfer� option shows prior transfers of ownership of the property. The �Tax Information� option will provide a detailed breakdown of taxes for the current tax year.

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