Purpose of Department
The purpose of the office of the Register of Deeds is to preserve and maintain all county records. The records belong to the people of Washington County and their preservation is of the utmost importance. There are documents dating back to the United States Land Patent, which was signed by President Ulysses S. Grant.
It is essential that the records in the Register of Deeds office are preserved for future generations to come. Attorneys, financial institutions, buyers, sellers, real estate developers, land surveyors, landlords, tenants, abstractors, genealogists, and title insurance agents all rely upon the correct recording of instruments relating to real estate.
Taxation of real property is the cornerstone for financing local government operations. Determining the ownership of real property is essential to the tax assessment function. The county appraiser and county clerk depend on the records in the Register of Deeds office to accurately reflect the tax roll process.
Duties of Office
The Register of Deeds is an elected official who is required but the Laws of the State of Kansas to record all documents submitted by the public which meet recording qualifications; maintain a correct and accurate set of indexes which show the correct ownership of land in the entire county; and performa all functions of clerical and technical nature to accomplish these objectives.
Functions of Department
The Register of Deeds is a recording office. Examples of the various documents filed are:
- Deeds
- Mortgages and Liens
- Affidavits
- Death Certificates
- State and Federal Tax Liens
- Mechanic’s Lien
- Financing Statements
- Military Discharges
- Leases and Easements
- Plats and Land Surveys
- School Records
- Cemetery Deeds
