How to Search Property Ownership Records

Search public records to determine property ownership.

If a house is vacant or if you are interested in buying a specific piece of land, it might not be immediately apparent who owns the property. Although the process of searching public records for home ownership can be time-consuming, it is fairly easy and can sometimes be accomplished without even leaving your home.

Things You'll Need

• Property address

Instructions

1. Find the website for the county, city or town in which the property is located if you are searching for the name of a home owner. Real estate records may be found under the tax assessment or property appraisal department or through the recorder of deeds office, depending on the county. Many municipalities offer an online search option.

2. Enter the address of the property in the county's home ownership search engine. The name and current address of the owner will appear.

3. Visit the appropriate county office if your county does not provide this information online. You will need to provide the property address to the clerk, who will look up the information and give it to you.

4. Visit the county offices if you are searching for a the owner of a vacant piece of land. Look at the addresses surrounding the land for a rough idea of the address for the land. When you arrive at your county offices, you will probably be directed to the recorder of deeds office and will be provided with maps of the area you are researching.

5. Find the parcel or lot number from the appropriate map and make a note of it. Ask the clerk to explain exactly how to locate the correct numbers on the map.

6. Visit the tax assessor's office and ask for the name and address of the person who owns the parcel or lot.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also search for home ownership information on the Property Shark website. The site offers property information gathered from tax records. Information is not available for every state and may not be completely up-to-date. Free registration is required in order to search the site.

• Some counties allow you to search for the owners of land online. Check to see if the county offers this before making a trip to county offices.

• Once you have an owner's name and address, contacting the person can be as easy as looking up the telephone number in a telephone directory or website.

Resources

• Property Shark