Q.) My credit
report shows an Indiana Department of Revenue tax lien on my record.
It says this report is on file in the Recorder's Office? How can I
get a copy?
A.) Credit bureaus frequently and incorrectly report that state
tax liens are filed in the Allen County Recorder's Office. These
records are not held by this office. The best source of information
regarding your state tax liens is the Indiana Department of Revenue
at 317-232-2240. The department of revenue can also be contacted
online at
www.in.gov/dor.
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Q.) Where
is the Allen County Recorder’s Office located?
A.) The Allen County Recorder’s Office is located in Room 100
of the City County Building at the corner of Calhoun and Main
Streets in downtown Fort Wayne. The Recorder’s Office is open 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Monday-Friday.
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Q.) How are the
fees charged by the Recorder’s Office determined and set?
A.) The Recorder’s Office is a state constitutional office
and as such, fees charged by the Recorder’s Office (such as the $1
per page cost of copies) are established under
Indiana Code 36-2-7.
Recording requirements are set by
Indiana Code 36-2-11.
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Q.) I
received a solicitation by mail offering to sell me a copy of the
deed to my home. Is this the only way I can obtain this record?
A.) The deed to your home or property is a public record
available in the Recorder’s Office. In many cases, it costs $2 or
less to obtain a copy of your deed from the Recorder’s Office. To
obtain your deed, you will need to provide the owner’s name, the
property’s legal description and an approximate date of purchase.
Deeds can sometimes be located by address.
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Q.) I need
to file a document with the Recorder’s Office. Do you provide
templates or blank forms that I can fill out to prepare a lien,
release, deed or other document?
A.) The Allen County Recorder’s Office provides blank copies
of the Certificate of Assumed Business Name form in hard copy and
for download that you may fill out and return. Because of the legal
specificity other instruments require, no other forms or templates
are provided.
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Q.) Why
won’t the Recorder’s Office perform lien searches?
A.) The Recorder’s Office is committed to providing excellent
customer service. However, we are also concerned about making sure
customers have a complete picture when looking for liens or other
claims against property. All records which have been recorded in
Allen County are open and available for review by you in the
Recorder’s office. Please be aware that court judgments, state tax
liens, bankruptcies are among the claims against property that are
NOT necessarily filed with the Recorder’s Office.
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Q.) If I
have a question about whether or not I have prepared a document
correctly, will you evaluate it for me before I submit it for
recording?
A.) The Recorder’s Office staff is happy to review documents
in advance to check for missing recording requirements. We cannot
answer legal questions or review aspects of the document beyond its
compliance with recording requirements.
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Q.) I
need a copy of my birth certificate. Are birth certificates
available in the Allen County Recorder’s office or elsewhere?
A.) Birth certificates for persons born in Allen County,
Indiana, are available through the Vital Records Division of the
Fort Wayne-Allen County Department of Health. The Vital Records
Division can be reached by telephone at (260) 449-7147.
You can also access the Department of Health's Vital Records
Division
via the Internet by clicking here.
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Q.) Do you
have an online searchable database for recorded deeds and other
information?
A.) Yes! Data and documents going back to January 1970
can be viewed online.
Two remote access products, Laredo and Tapestry, are now available
for users who wish to search for and retrieve data and documents.
We also offer a free service for those needing only basic data.
For more information, visit our Downloads
page
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Q.) How can
I get a copy of the Allen County Recorder’s fee schedule?
A.) The Allen County Recorder’s fee schedule
is available
for download by clicking here.
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Q.)
What types of payment does the Recorder’s Office accept?
A.) The Recorder’s Office currently accepts payments for
recording and copies by cash or check. Corporate escrow accounts for
recording and charge accounts for copying are also available.
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Q.) I
wish to dissolve an assumed business name I previously filed with
the Recorder’s Office. How do I go about doing that?
A.) You may dissolve an assumed business name by filing
another Certificate of Assumed Business name and inserting
“Dissolution Of” at the top of the page. The cost is $12.
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Q.) How
do I know if I must include the Social Security affirmation
statement on my document?
A.) In accordance with Indiana Code IC 36-2-11-15, most
documents submitted to the Recorder’s Office must contain the
affirmation statement. Exceptions include an instrument executed
before July 1, 1959, or recorded before July 26, 1967, a judgment,
order, or writ of a court; a will or death certificate, an
instrument executed or acknowledged outside Indiana; or federal
liens on real property or a federal tax lien on personal property as
described in IC 36-2-11-25.
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Q.) If I
wish to file a tort claim against city or county government, do I
bring it to the Recorder’s Office?
A.) You should consult an attorney regarding the necessary
steps regarding a notice of tort claim. An attorney can advise you
where and when a notice of tort claim must be filed.
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Q.) How do
I add or delete a name to the deed to my property?
A.) Consult an attorney to make certain you are executing a deed
or instrument which transfers the property rights and interests you
wish to transfer.
In order to record a properly prepared deed or instrument, it must
first have been submitted to the Allen County Assessor’s Office
and the Allen County Auditor’s Office. The
Allen County Assessor and Auditor may require a sales disclosure
form be filed which may be acquired at the Auditor’s office or
online through the Auditor’s web site.
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Q.) Does the Recorder's Office have
information regarding neighborhood association bylaws and
restrictive covenants?
A.)
Restrictive covenants are filed with the recorder's office.
Covenants can exist either as separate documents or as part of the
original plat of the subdivision. On rare occasions, neighborhood
associations also record their bylaws.
Covenants and restrictions may be viewed online at no charge by
visiting the
Allen
County Recorder's Office Neighborhood Resource Center.
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Q.) What is the role
of the Recorder’s Office in starting a business?
A.) You
are required under
Indiana Code 23-15-1-1 to file a fictitious business name
statement for a variety of different reasons. This document, known
as a Certificate of Assumed Business Name, should be filed in the
recorder’s office
in the county in which you are doing business.
The form is available online by visiting the
Downloads Page.
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