Leelanau County Recorder Mechanics Lien Filing

You can file your mechanic liens in person at the Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office located at:

8527 E. Government Center Drive
Suite 105
Suttons Bay, MI 49682

Phone: 231-256-9682
Fax: 231-256-8149

The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except for Legal Holidays.

Documents received after 4:30 p.m. for recording will be held until the following business day.

The Crawford County Register of Deeds Office does not publicly disclose information on recording backlog. However, note that documents are handled many times before the recording process is complete and they are ready to be returned. Documents are recorded daily after being checked that all recording requirements are met according to statute. They are then time stamped, assigned liber and page numbers, indexed in the computer and images scanned. The Register of Deeds must maintain reception books and indexes for all the recorded documents.

If your construction project is located in Leelanau County, then yes, you should file your lien here.

The Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office’s recording requirements are as follows:

1. The name of each person purporting to execute the instrument is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped beneath the original signature or mark of the person, and the signature of mark is in black or dark blue ink. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(a)

2. A discrepancy does not exist between the name of each person as printed, typewritten, or stamped beneath his or her signature and the name as recited in the acknowledgment or jurat on the instrument. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(b)

3. The name of any notary public whose signature appears on the instrument is legibly printed, typewritten or stamped on the instrument and appears on the same page near the signature of the notary public. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(c)

4. The address of the grantees in each deed of conveyance or assignment of real estate, including the street number address if located within territory where street number addresses are in common use, or, if not, the post office address, is legibly printed, typewritten, or stamped on the instrument. MCLA
565.201 Sec 1; (1)(d) 5. If the instrument is executed before April 1, 1997, each sheet of the instrument is all of the following: MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(e)

(i) Typewritten or printed in type not smaller than 8-point size.
(ii) Not more than 8-1/2 by 14 Inches.
(iii) Legible
(iv) On paper of not less than 13 (17×22-500) pound weight.

6. If the instrument is executed after April 1, 1997, each sheet of the instrument complies with all of the following: MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(f)

(i) Has a margin of unprinted space that is at least 2-1/2 inches at the top of the first page and at least ½ inch on all remaining sides of each page.
(ii) Subject to subsection (3), displays on the first line of print on the first page of the instrument a single statement identifying the recordable event that the instrument evidences.
(iii) Is electronically, mechanically, or hand printed in 10-point type or the equivalent of 10-point type.
(iv) Is legibly printed in black ink on white paper that is not less than 20- pound weight.
(v) Is not less than 8-1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long or more than 1-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.
(vi) Contains no attachment that is less than 1-1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long or more than 8-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.

7. Unless state or federal law, rule, regulation, or court order or rule requires that all or more than 4 sequential digits of the social security number appear in the instrument, beginning on 1 of the following
dates the first 5 digits of any social security number appearing in or on the instrument are obscured or removed: MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(g)

(i) Except as provided in subparagraph (ii), September 12, 2007
(ii) For an instrument presented to the Register of Deeds by the department of treasury, April 1, 2008

8. If the instrument or any part of it is in a language other than English, a written English translation is attached to the instrument. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(h)

9. If the instrument is executed after January 1, 1964, the instrument contains the name and business address of the person who drafted the instrument. MCLA Sec 1; (1)(i)

10. Subsection (1)(e) and (f) does not apply to instruments executed outside this state or to the filing or recording of a plat or other instrument, the size of which is regulated by law. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (2)

11. A Register of Deeds shall not record an instrument executed after April 1, 1997, other than an instrument described in subsection (2), if the statement required under (1)(f)(ii) purports to evidence more than 1 recordable event. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (3)

12. Any instrument received and recorded by a Register of Deeds, including any instrument considered duly recorded under subsection (6), is conclusively presumed to comply with this act. The requirements contained in this act are cumulative to the requirements imposed by any other act relating to the
recording of instruments. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (4)

13. A Register of Deeds shall not reject an instrument for recording because of the content of the instrument if the instrument complies with the provisions of this act and any other act relating to the recording of instruments. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (5)

14. If a mortgage meets all requirements for recording under this act and a copy of the mortgage is affixed to an affidavit that is recordable under section 1a (g) of 1915 PA 123, MCL 565.451a, the Register of Deeds shall receive the affidavit with the accompanying copy of the mortgage for record, and the mortgage is duly recorded under this act and under section 29 of 1846 RS 65, MCL 565.29, as of the date of recording of the affidavit. To the extent that the mortgage validly creates a lien, the lien is perfected
as of the date of recording of the affidavit. The amendments to this section enacted by 2014 PA 347 apply retroactively to all copies of mortgages verified by affidavit regardless of whether they are recorded on, before, or after October 17, 2014, the effective date of 2014 PA 347. However, a Register of Deeds shall not receive an affidavit of mortgage for record under this subsection after October 16, 2014 if more than 1 mortgage is attached to the affidavit. MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (6)

The Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office’s page requirements are as follows:

If the instrument is executed before April 1, 1997, each sheet of the instrument is all of the following: MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(e)

(i) Typewritten or printed in type not smaller than 8-point size.
(ii) Not more than 8-1/2 by 14 Inches.
(iii) Legible
(iv) On paper of not less than 13 (17×22-500) pound weight.

If the instrument is executed after April 1, 1997, each sheet of the instrument complies with all of the following: MCLA 565.201 Sec 1; (1)(f)

(i) Has a margin of unprinted space that is at least 2-1/2 inches at the top of the first page and at least ½ inch on all remaining sides of each page.
(ii) Subject to subsection (3), displays on the first line of print on the first page of the instrument a single statement identifying the recordable event that the instrument evidences.
(iii) Is electronically, mechanically, or hand printed in 10-point type or the equivalent of 10-point type.
(iv) Is legibly printed in black ink on white paper that is not less than 20- pound weight.
(v) Is not less than 8-1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long or more than 1-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.
(vi) Contains no attachment that is less than 1-1/2 inches wide and 11 inches long or more than 8-1/2 inches wide and 14 inches long.

The Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office accepts cash, checks, debit and credit cards.

Payment is due at the time a document is recorded or when copies are printed. Recording fees, copy fees or transfer taxes cannot be billed.

You may write one check for recording fees when you are recording more than one document. Your payment can also include real estate transfer taxes, a tax certificate (if it is required for your type of document) and any additional copy fees.

Visa, Mastercard and Discover are the cards that are accepted.

Note that there will be a Convenience Fee applied to each Credit or Debit card payment.

$1.00 – $50.00 = $1.50 Convenience Fee

$50.01 – ? = 3% Convenience Fee

The Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office’s recording fees are as follows:

Effective October 1, 2016 – MCL 600.2567, MCL 600.2567a, MCL 600.2568

Recording Fee:
The fee for entering and recording any document, regardless of the number of pages, is $30.00.

The $4.00 MSSR fee is not assessed on Fixture Filings, State or Federal Liens, MESC Liens, State Deeds, Plats or documents recorded under the Treasurer’s Tax Reversion statutes. [(MCLA 600.2567a (4)].

Assignment or Discharge:
Any instrument that assigns or discharges more than one instrument: $3.00 shall be added to the recording fee for each additional instrument so assigned or discharged.

Warranty deed, land contract, land contract assignment, master deed for condominium
must have a tax certificate from the County Treasurer prior to recording.
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF JULY 1, 2015, the fee for TAX CERTIFICATES will be $5.00 and 20¢ for each additional description over 5

Searches and Copies

Searching the real estate record per name: 50¢/year – $5.00 minimum fee
State Tax Lien Certificate Search – $3.00/name searched
Federal Tax Lien Certificate Search – $30.00/name searched
Real estate record copy – $1.00/page and $1.00 certification

You can obtain a recorded copy of your lien in person at the Leelanau County Register of Deeds Office located at:

8527 E. Government Center Drive
Suite 105
Suttons Bay, MI 49682

Phone: 231-256-9682
Fax: 231-256-8149

The office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. except for Legal Holidays.

There are two public work stations in the office for searching the documents on the computer and the vault is available for record searching prior to January, 1972. Certified copies can be made from the records upon request.

You can also search for Leelanau County’s property records online at: https://www.leelanau.cc/propertysearch.asp

Copies are available at $1.00 per page in the office and $1.25 per page through the website. MCL 600.2567(1)(b)

The Oakland County Register of Deeds Office’s recording fees are as follows:

Recording Fees

Recording Fee (this includes the $4.00 state survey & remonumentation fee) – $30.00

Documents that release or assign multiple libers and pages due to the original lien or mortgage being re-recorded should show all associated libers and pages on the discharge or assignment. The liber and page of the original recording is included in the recording fee. There is a $3 charge for each additional referenced liber and page.

Copy Fees

Copies – $1.00 per page
Certification of Copy – $5.00 per document