Where to find Clinton County’s (MO) Recorder of Deeds and which Services does it offer?

The Recorder of Deeds is an important office, as it keeps public records of actions and transactions for various governments. In the United States of America, the Recorder of Deeds is usually under the jurisdiction of the County. Here is the information regarding the current Recorder of Deeds for Clinton County, Missouri, and more information on its role.

Current Clinton County Recorder of Deeds

To become Recorder of Deeds, you need to be elected. The current elected official, in Clinton County, Missouri is Ellis Dockray. He was elected in 2018, and his term was to run until 2022. However, he announced in July 2020, that he was stepping down. He was also holding the position of Circuit Clerk, which he left behind as well, at the same time, on July 30^th, 2020.

Today, Angela Stone currently stands as the interim Clerk and Recorder of Deeds, since she was appointed by the 43rd Judicial Circuit Judge, Brent Elliott, in order to fill the empty seat. She will remain as acting person, until Missouri’s Governor, Mike Parson, decides to make a new permanent appointment, at least until the following elections are to be held.

Ellis Dockray took the decision to leave his post for personal and work-related reasons, that took place during the last six months of his term. In a video posted on Facebook, he indicates that he believes the deputy clerks, working under him previously, will continue to do a great job and that it is better for everyone if he steps down, although the decision wasn’t an easy one to make. Dockray was elected for this job as a Republican, and he took office in 2019.

The Recorder of Deeds Office in Clinton County (MO)

Working with Angela Stone is Pam Ziegler who is Chief Deputy Recorder and Dana Baker as Deputy Recorder. Those needing information and documents located at the Recorder of Deeds, can use the search terminals, which are available for public use, in the lobby of the office. A photocopy machine is also in service and will cost you $2 for the first page and $1 for any additional ones.

If you need to record information with the office, the cost will be $24 for the first page and $3 for the following ones. In regard to marriage licenses, you first need to call the office, and they will provide you with all the information you need, before you go to the office of the Recorder of Deeds. The phone number is: 816-539-3719. For anything else, the office is opened from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm during the week, but note that they are closed during the lunch hour.

More information on the Register of Deeds

In the United States of America, the Recorder of Deeds (in some States) is the responsibility of the County Clerk, which is the situation in Clinton County, MO. In this case, the official’s position may be called Clerk-recorder or Recorder-clerk. In certain jurisdiction, there are offices that take care of duties similar to the Register of Deeds. They are then the ones in charge of the registrar general as well as the registrar of titles, on top of being the registrar of deeds.

The Register of Deeds is important because it is where one can find all the information on real property ownership. It also holds all information related to it, such as mortgages, mechanic’s liens, releases and plats. It was created to make it easier for all, by keeping this information in one single office. Since it holds data going back in time, there are many indexes that are available to look through. Some of them are still in paper format, while others are on microchips or can be obtained through computers, as well.

The most common legal action and transaction recorded at the Register of Deeds office is the sale and purchase of a property. They can deliver the only legal document that confirms who owns the house and/or the land in question. It is important because such transactions usually involve a lot of money. Therefore, one needs to have confirmation of ownership, before paying any money to the person or company claiming to be the owner.

But there are other actions and transactions recorded in that office. One of the most common are marriage licenses. But any legal actions between parties can be recorded at this office. When anyone needs to be clear about the legal status of a transaction, they may look up the registrar to find the information.

It’s easy to imagine that in large counties, the Register of Deeds can employ hundreds of people in its service. The quantity of legal transactions in counties including populous cities like New York, Chicago or Los Angeles is very high and therefore needs to be treated through numerous employees. But in a smaller one, like Clinton County, only a few people are needed to cater to the needs of the citizens.