Guide to filing a mechanics lien in Chelan County

Where is the Chelan County Recorder's Office that files mechanic liens?

You can file your mechanic liens in person at the Chelan County Auditor’s office located at:

2nd Level
350 Orondo Ave
Wenatchee WA 98801
(509) 667-6800

Phone: (509) 667-6815
Fax: 509-667-6825
E-mail: Recording@co.chelan.wa.us

Office Hours
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST

You can also submit your documents electronically.

Chelan County has contracted with four eRecording vendors to enable the electronic submission of documents and fees for recording.

Corporation Service Company (CSC)
866-652-0111

eRecording Partners Network (EPN)
888-325-3365

Indecomm Global Services
877-272-5250

Simplifile
800.460.5657

What is Chelan County's Recording Backlog?

The Chelan County Auditor’s Office does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog.

Should I file my mechanics lien in Chelan County?

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

What are Chelan County's requirements for recording a mechanics lien?

The Chelan County Auditor’s recording requirements are as follows:

Effective January 1, 1997, all documents submitted for recording in Washington State must conform to standards set by RCW 36.18 and 65.04. These standards were enacted to make documents more accessible to the public by bringing the most important information to the document’s first page, thus aiding document indexing and research. Documents that do not conform to the standards will sadly be returned for correction.

The following list summarizes these requirements, with more detailed information accessible by clicking the link. Certain information or formatting shortcomings can be corrected with the addition of a cover page. Please add $1.00 to the fee for the cost of recording the extra page if this option is taken.

First Page Requirements

1. Margins: Top margin must be at least 3″ , all others, 1″ . Aside from the return address in the top three inch margin, all margins must be clear. No additional addresses, bar codes, company logos, hole punches, line numbers, order numbers, page numbers, tracking numbers, headers, footers, notary or other seals, signatures, initials, etc., may be placed in any margin. You may place this information on the document, just keep it within the required margins.

2. Return Address: The return address should be placed within the three-inch top margin in the upper left portion of the first page. The original document will be returned to whatever address is indicated in that spot.

3. Title(s): listed just below the 3″ top margin of the first page. If using a cover sheet, the title(s) on the cover sheet must be the same as the title(s) on the document.

4. Grantor(s) AND Grantee(s): The party listed as the document’s grantor is typically yielding something to another party, be it a property conveyance or a promise to repay a mortgage. In all but a few cases, the person that signs the document is the grantor. A lien or judgment debtor is also a grantor, though in this case the “granting” may be somewhat involuntary and the document will be not be signed by them. To find the appropriate party/parties to place in this field, you can view or download “Document Titles”.

5. Reference Number: A reference number is the Auditor’s File Number (AFN) and volume and page (if applicable) of the document being assigned, released, referenced, terminated or amended. In addition to fulfilling statutory and practical requirements, this enables documents to be electronically linked.

6. Entire or Abbreviated Legal Description: If the entire legal description is on the first page, there is no need or requirement to also abbreviate it on the first page. In cases where the entire legal description does not appear on the first page it must be abbreviated on the first page of the document or cover sheet with a reference to the page number where the entire legal description is located. Appropriate abbreviations are: Lot Block Subdivision
or
Section-Township-Range quarter-quarter section (i.e., 04-20-22 NE NE) Please Note: It is not acceptable to put “See attached” or “refer to Appendix A” in place of abbreviating the legal description.

7. Assessor’s Parcel Number: The Assessor’s 12-digit tax parcel number must appear on the first page of the document/cover sheet if a legal description is included in the document. If there are too many parcel numbers to fit on the first page, you can enter what will fit and reference the page number where the remainder are located. If you need help finding the number you can refer to your tax statement or contact the County Assessor’s Office. If the parcel number has not yet been assigned, put “Not Yet Assigned” in the space for parcel number. If a parcel number is on the document, the legal description must also be included.

Requirements for all pages, including the first

1. Legibility: The text must be crisp enough to distinguish each character individually. Faxed copies frequently fail to produce an acceptable image. Care must be taken to ensure that the receiving fax is capable of producing an image suitable for recording. The paper used must also be of a weight and color capable of producing legible images. Watermarks and highlighted text in the body of document also create problems where the contrast between text and page is reduced to the point of obliterating text clarity when scanned, copied or filmed.

2. Font: The font size must be eight (8) point type or larger. Smaller than that is very difficult to read, and does not image or reproduce easily. This is eight point font.

3. Margins: at least 1″ all around, except first top page

4. Page Size: 8.5″ x 11″ minimum, 8.5″ x 14″ maximum. The paper must be of a weight and color that will image clearly.

5. Attachments: No attachment may be affixed to documents presented for recording. Attachments, for purposes of this legislation, refers to notary seals, sticky notes, or other items stapled, taped, etc. on the face of the document. Attachment does not refer to additional pages added to the end of a document such as addenda, schedules, or expanded legal descriptions which may be referred to in the body of the document as “Attachment A” or “Appendix A,” etc.

What are the margin & page size requirements to file a lien in Chelan County?

The page size must be 8.5″ x 11″ minimum, 8.5″ x 14″ maximum.

The top margin of the first page must be at least 3″, all others, 1″ . Aside from the return address in the top three inch margin, all margins must be clear.

How can I make payment to the Chelan County Recorder's Office?

The Chelan County Auditor’s payment options include:

1. Cash
2. Checks – made payable to the Chelan County Auditor for the exact amount
3. Credit Card – Processing fee will be added.

Note that the Chelan County Auditor’s office are unable to process phone orders.

Instructions for Online Credit Card Payment

Email or phone the office with the details of your transaction. If recording documents, this would be the number of pages and title for each document being recorded. If requesting copies, give the information to help the office locate your desired document.

You will be given the following in return:

Recording Fee Total
Transaction number. You will enter this number in the Account Number field of your credit card transaction.

** Retain the confirmation number provided at the end of your credit card transaction. You will submit this number to the office as your payment.

What are the filing fees to record a mechanics lien in Chelan County?

The Chelan County Auditor’s standard recording fee is $103.50 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page.

Additional Recording Fees

Federal Tax Liens and Releases: $18.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page

Non-Standard Documents: $50.00 charge in addition to recording fees

Multi-Title Recordings: The sum of the first-page fee for each document title and $1.0 for eachpage after the first (counted only one time)

Lien Fees

Liens and Satisfaction of Lien only when filed by WA State, County or City: $39.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page

Liens and Satisfaction of Lien when submitted by Employment Security: $36.00 for the first page and $1.00 for each additional page

Copy Fees

Document Copy: $1.00 for each page
Certified Copy: $2.00 in addition to copy fees above

How do I get a recorded copy of my lien from the Chelan County Recorder's Office?

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person at the Chelan County Auditor’s office located at:

2nd Level
350 Orondo Ave
Wenatchee WA 98801
(509) 667-6800

Phone: (509) 667-6815
Fax: 509-667-6825
E-mail: Recording@co.chelan.wa.us

Office Hours
Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM PST

Copy fees are as follows:

Document Copy: $1.00 for each page
Certified Copy: $2.00 in addition to copy fees

You can also search Chelan County Auditor’s Official Records online at:

https://acclaim.co.chelan.wa.us/acclaimweb