Recording

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Recording



100 W Broadway, Suite 2
Montesano, WA 98563
Main Line: (360) 249-4232
Fax:(360) 249-3330
E-Mail

recordings@graysharbor.us
Office Hours

Open During Lunch 

8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Monday Through Friday
 
 

The Recordings Section of the Auditor’s Office is the official repository of all documents that affect real property and many of the official records of the county. They have the responsibility to store the record, and then index them for retrieval and use by anyone needing them.

Real estate records provide a chain of ownership based on the names of the owners, since the inception of the county. They include documents such as deeds, mortgages, contracts, liens, and titles.

The oldest deed is dated June 21, 1856 – well before we became a state.  Richard Hilyer purchased a 180’ square lot for $100.  The very next transaction we have on record is the same Richard Hilyer selling the lot for $176!

Surveys and plat maps are also filed in this office with copies available on request.

Each year this section processes over 20,000 transactions and maintains 800,000 indexed items on record.

Although the primary records are for real estate transactions, we also maintain a record of county commissioner meetings, marriage licenses, military discharges, and some death records.

County birth and death records from 1892 up to 1907 are on file and of great use for genealogists. Other historical documents dating back to 1856 can also be found.

Responsibilities of Auditors:

Washington defines county auditors and their deputies as the “Custodians of Records”. The Revised Code of Washington (RCW) outlines the requirements of legal documents that must be recorded. RCW 65 and RCW 36 define the minimum amount of information that must be present on recorded documents and the fees associated with such recordings.
The county auditor and their deputy auditors are not practicing attorneys in their roles as recording officers. They are prohibited from giving or offering legal advice, including the completion of forms.
The responsibility for preparing a document for recording is that of the preparer. It is not the responsibility of the county auditor or deputy auditors to verify that the document has been properly drafted.

The Auditor’s office only verifies the following information:
  • Correct fees are collected
  • Indexing information is complete
  • Document is legible
  • Document is formatted correctly
The Auditor's is prohibited from:
  • Giving legal advice.
  • Helping fill out documents.
  • Suggesting what type of document to use.
  • Accepting illegible documents.
  • Recording documents other than those specified by the state of Washington and federal law.