Know which office holds which lien
Ohio doesn’t keep every lien in one place. Where a lien lives depends on what kind it is:
| Lien or claim | Where to look | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Mortgages, HELOCs, releases | County recorder | Recorded documents |
| Mechanic’s liens | County recorder | R.C. 1311.06 requires the affidavit to be filed with the recorder |
| Federal tax liens | Public Notice of Federal Tax Lien; confirm with the IRS | IRS lien procedures |
| Judgment liens | Clerk of the court of common pleas | R.C. 2329.02 certificate of judgment |
| Pending lawsuits, including foreclosure | Clerk of courts docket | R.C. 2703.26 lis pendens |
| Unpaid property taxes, tax certificates, special assessments | County treasurer or fiscal office | Delinquent tax list |
| Unpaid city water charges | The tax bill, once certified | R.C. 743.04 lets a city certify them to the county auditor |
A complete check touches all of them. Judgment liens are filed with the clerk, not the recorder, so don’t stop after the recorder’s index. Water charges have their own rules, covered in the water bill liens guide.
Summit County: the Fiscal Office and the Clerk
Summit County combines the recorder, auditor and treasurer roles in the Fiscal Office, which makes part of the search simpler.
- Recorded documents. The Fiscal Office’s recording FAQ says you can search and view recorded documents online from 1988 forward, and older records from 1840 to 1988 in its Index Book Archive Viewer. Public computers are on the 4th floor customer service area.
- Taxes. The Fiscal Office’s property tax and appraisal search shows the tax status of each parcel. Its Delinquent Tax Department, 330-643-2600, can tell you if a tax certificate was sold.
- Judgment liens and court cases. The Clerk of Courts Legal Division at 205 S. High Street, Akron, keeps the common pleas docket online at clerkweb.summitoh.net.
- Ongoing watch. The Fiscal Office offers a Property Record Alert service: you create an account on its alert portal and set up alerts on recorded documents.
The Fiscal Office also warns owners about companies that mail letters offering certified copies of deeds for a fee. You don’t need them: a copy is $4, plus $1 to certify, by mail with a stamped return envelope.
Stark County: Recorder, Clerk and Treasurer
In Stark County the functions are spread across separate offices:
- Stark County Recorder, 110 Central Plaza South, Suite 170, Canton. The Recorder says its deeds, mortgages and other real estate records are available on its website 24 hours a day with no direct user cost, and staff will help with searches in person.
- Stark County Clerk of Courts, 115 Central Plaza North, Suite 101, Canton, with an online case docket for judgments and foreclosure filings, including title work in active cases.
- Stark County Treasurer, for delinquent taxes and payment contracts, and the County Auditor for parcel records.
If a foreclosure is already pending, the Stark Sheriff’s tax sale page notes that the online case docket shows the title work and lien values filed in the case, which is often the quickest way to see everything at once.
Searching by name and by parcel
Run the search two ways, because different offices index differently:
- By parcel number at the treasurer or fiscal office, to see taxes, assessments and the current owner name exactly as recorded.
- By owner name at the recorder and clerk. Search every name that has appeared on the deed, including maiden names, a deceased spouse, a trust or an LLC.
- Check spelling variants. Clerk dockets index under the name the creditor used. Try initials and common misspellings.
Write down each document’s type, date, instrument or case number and amount. Note any mortgage that was paid off but has no recorded release. Those are fixable, but they take time.
Claims a records search can miss
A clean search on a given day doesn’t rule out every claim. Watch for these:
- Recent work on the house. Under R.C. 1311.06(B), a contractor or supplier on a one- or two-family home has 60 days after the last work or materials to record a mechanic’s lien affidavit. If you had a roof, furnace or remodel job in the last two months and haven’t paid in full, a lien can still appear.
- Lawsuits not yet decided. Under R.C. 2703.26, a pending case about the property gives notice to everyone from the day the complaint is filed, even before any judgment. See what a lis pendens is in Ohio.
- Charges not yet certified. Unpaid city water charges reach the tax list only after the city certifies them to the auditor under R.C. 743.04.
Ask the title company to bring its search up to date right before closing for this reason.
Federal tax liens and the IRS
The IRS files a public Notice of Federal Tax Lien to alert creditors. If you know or suspect you owe federal taxes, don’t rely only on the county index. Call the IRS Centralized Lien Operation at 800-913-6050 to verify a lien, request a payoff, or ask about a release. The IRS tax lien guide explains how to sell with one.
What to do with what you find
Once you have a list, sort it into three piles:
- Paid but not released. Ask the lender or creditor for a recorded release or satisfaction.
- Valid and unpaid. Get payoff figures. Most will be paid from your proceeds at closing, in order of priority.
- Not yours. A lien under a similar name can be cleared with the title company’s help.
The judgment lien guide explains how those liens attach and expire, what a title company does covers how they’re cleared at closing, and our page on selling a house with liens covers the seller’s choices. If the liens look larger than your equity, ask us for a written offer so you can compare the numbers.
