Lost or Misplaced Deeds
Do You Need Your Original Deed When You Sell Your Home or Refinance?
I am often asked by my clients if they need to provide me with their original deed when they sell or refinance their home. Fortunately, they do not; it does not matter if their deed is either lost, misplaced or discarded. In Florida, when real estate is purchased, the original Deed is recorded in the county recorders office for the county in which the property is located. Once the Deed is recorded, it becomes a public record which, in all Florida Counties, is available for inspection via the internet. If the deed is lost or misplaced and the homeowner needs the original document, a property owner can simply request, from the County recorder, a certified copy of the recorded document either in-person or by mail. In most instances, a certified copy has the same legal significance as the original document.
Read: How To Look Up A Florida Deed For Free
If requested by mail, the party requesting the document must enclose a check for applicable fees, payable to the County, and provide the book and page number (or instrument number) where the document is located. If the book and page number (or instrument number) where the document is located is unknown, then the County will charge an additional records search charge to find the Deed.
PLEASE NOTE, FOR NEW CLIENTS, OUR OFFICE DOES NOT AND WILL NOT OBTAIN A COPY OF YOUR DEED FOR YOU – WE DO NOT PERFORM THESE SERVICES – PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK TO LEARN HOW TO RETRIEVE A COPY OF YOUR RECORDED DEED FOR FREE!
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