Washtenaw County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanic liens in person, by mail or by eRecording.

In Person

You can submit your documents to the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office located at:

200 North Main
Ann Arbor 48104

Phone: 734-222-6710
Fax: 734-222-6819

Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Recording Hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Closed on holidays

Mail

You can mail your documents to the following address:

P.O. Box 8645
Ann Arbor, MI 48107

eRecording

The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds now accepts certain documents submitted for recording electronically through several approved vendors.

Deeds, mortgages, liens, releases, assignments and many other document types may be submitted for recording electronically at the office.

They accept eRecordings from the vendors listed below. You can contact the vendors for their fees and further information.

Corporation Service Company: https://www.erecording.com
ePN: https://www.erecordingpartners.net
Indecomm Global Services: https://dmg.indecomm.net/Solutions/eRecording
Simplifile: https://simplifile.com

Important Information

* Documents are accepted and processed between the hours of 8:30 AM and 4:00 PM Monday – Friday excluding observed holidays

* Payments are accepted by ACH

* Documents submitted electronically are subject to the same recording fees and recording requirements prescribed by law as documents submitted by any other means

* Documents that do not meet recording requirements will be rejected and returned to the submitter through the eRecording vendor

* Processing fees may be collected by eRecording vendors and are not prescribed by law

* Electronically recorded documents will be returned to the submitter in electronic format

For more information contact the Register of Deeds office at 734-222-6710.

The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog.

If your construction project is located in Washtenaw County, then yes, you should file your lien here.

The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office’s recording requirements are as follows:

1. Signatures must be original; and names must be typed or printed beneath signatures. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(a)(c)

2. No discrepancy shall exist between names printed in the notary acknowledgment and as printed beneath signatures. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(b)

3. The address of the grantees in each deed of conveyance or assignment of real estate shall contain the street number address or post office address. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(d)

4. The name and address of the person who drafted the document must appear on documents executed in Michigan. MCLA 565.201(1)(a); MCLA 565.203

5. Documents purporting to convey or encumber real estate executed in Michigan require an acknowledgment by a judge, clerk of court of record or a notary public within this state. MCLA 565.8

6. A certified copy of the death certificate or proof of death must be recorded or have been recorded and referenced by Liber and Page on said document when “survivor” is indicated on the document. MCLA 565.48

7. Court orders must be certified and sealed by the clerk of the court. MCLA 565.401 ; 565.411

8. The document submitted for recording must be legible. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(iv)

9. Documents must have a margin of unprinted space at least 2 ½ inches at the top of the first page and at least ½ inch on all remaining sides of each page. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(i)

10. Documents must display on the first line of print on the first page, a single statement identifying the recordable event that the instrument evidences. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(ii)

11. The type on the form must be printed with black ink; type size at least 10-point type. MCL 565.201(1)(f)(iii) and (iv).

12. The paper on which the document is printed must be white and not less than 20-pound weight. MCL 565.201(1)(f)(iv)

13. The size of the document and any attachments thereto must be at least 8 ½ inches by 11 inches; at most 8 ½ inches by 14 inches. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(v)(vi)

14. Unless required by state or federal law or court order, no more than 4 sequential digits of any social security number may appear on the instrument. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(g)

15. Instruments shall not purport to evidence more than one recordable event. MCLA 565.201 (3)

16. When a subdivision plat has been recorded, the lots in the plat shall be described by the caption of the plat and the lot number for all purposes. MCLA 560.255

These statutes are intended to be used as a guideline. Some documents have additional requirements.

The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office’s page requirements are as follows:

1. The document submitted for recording must be legible. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(iv)

2. Documents must have a margin of unprinted space at least 2 ½ inches at the top of the first page and at least ½ inch on all remaining sides of each page. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(i)

3. Documents must display on the first line of print on the first page, a single statement identifying the recordable event that the instrument evidences. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(ii)

4. The type on the form must be printed with black ink; type size at least 10-point type. MCL 565.201(1)(f)(iii) and (iv).

5. The paper on which the document is printed must be white and not less than 20-pound weight. MCL 565.201(1)(f)(iv)

6. The size of the document and any attachments thereto must be at least 8 ½ inches by 11 inches; at most 8 ½ inches by 14 inches. MCLA 565.201 Sec. 1(f)(v)(vi)

The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office’s payment methods include: cash (in-person, only), check, and credit (Visa, MasterCard and Discover, only).

The Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office’s recording fees are as follows:

Recording Fees
For entering and recording a Deed, Mortgage, Lis Pendens, UCC / Fixture Filing or any other instrument:
$30 per document
For any document which assigns or discharges more than one instrument: $3 must be added to the recording fee for each additional instrument assigned or discharged.

Transfer Tax on Total Consideration
County Transfer Tax = $1.10 per $1,000
State Transfer Tax = $7.50 per $1,000

Tax Certificates
Warranty Deeds, Master Deeds, Land Contracts or Assignment of Land Contracts, which contain a covenant of warrant, must have a tax certificate from the County Treasurer’s Office (MCLA 211.135):

Up to 5 Descriptions: $5
Each Additional Description: $0.20

Non-Recordable Documents
If the Register of Deeds determines that a document may not be recorded in its current form it will be rejected and returned to the submitter along with the recording fee. The document may be corrected and resubmitted with the appropriate fee by the submitter.

If a package of documents is submitted for recording with a single check and any one of the documents in the package does not meet the recording requirements, the entire group will be returned with the check.

Copy Fees

Copies of documents – In-person or by mail: $1.00
Copies of documents – Online per page: $1.20 per page (includes convenience fee)
Certified Copies: $5 per document, in addition to copy fee

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien person at the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office located at:

200 North Main
Ann Arbor 48104

Phone: 734-222-6710
Fax: 734-222-6819

Office Hours
Monday – Friday
8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Closed on holidays

Copy fees are as follows:

Copies of documents – In-person or by mail: $1.00
Certified Copies: $5 per document, in addition to copy fee

You can also search for documents recorded in the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office online at: https://rod.ewashtenaw.org/Clerk/Register of Deeds/web/

There is no charge to search the database and view data. The fee to view, print, or save document images is $1.20 per page, payable by credit card prior to viewing.

If you desire a more thorough search, you may come to the office and staff may assist you. In-person payment of copy fees is accepted in the form of cash, check/money order or credit (Visa, MasterCard & Discover only, until 4 pm, daily) and must accompany the request.

You need to provide as much of the following information about the document you are requesting as possible.

Liber and Page of recorded document.
Type of document. (deed, mortgage, easement)
1st party (grantor, mortgagor, dischargor)
2nd party (grantor, mortgagee, discharge)
Approximate year of recording in this office.
If this request is for a deed, and the original sale was by Land Contract, what year was the Land Contract paid off?
If requesting Plat copies, name of subdivision is required.

Commercial Subscriptions to Online Data & Images
Subscriptions for unlimited access to view & print documents from the Register of Deeds online portal are available.

To purchase a weekly or monthly subscription, register or login to the online portal and choose Shopping > Buy Subscription. For an annual subscription contact the Register of Deeds office at 734-222-6710.

Subscription Fees

Weekly Subscription: $400
Monthly Subscription: $1,300
Annual Subscription: Contact Register of Deeds

You can get the property’s legal description from the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office in person.

You can search for documents recorded in the Washtenaw County Register of Deeds Office online at: https://rod.ewashtenaw.org/Clerk/Register of Deeds/web/

You can also search for property legal descriptions online with the
Washtenaw County Equalization Department at: https://secure3.ewashtenaw.org/ecommerce/property/pStart.do