Responsibilities

Williams County Recorder’s Office keeps and maintains accurate land records that are current, legible and easily accessible. An important aspect of this work is indexing each document appropriately so it is easily accessible. Accurate indexing improves land record searches to identify documents that establish a “chain of title” (history of ownership) and ensure debts or encumbrances against the property are evident.

Responsibilities of the Williams County Recorder’s Office include:

• Makes a complete, accurate and permanent record of every document pertaining to the conveyance and encumbrance of land within the county
• Maintains permanent land records, retains them in archival form, and makes them constantly accessible to the public
• Enforces more than 1000 sections of state law in the Ohio Revised Code pertaining to the duties of the Recorder’s office
• Takes great care to ensure that every document received is accurately filed, recorded and indexed.
• Serves on the county’s Records Commission which authorizes the retention of the county’s records and determines when or how these government records may be disposed
• Collects fees for documents filed in the Recorder’s office and pays these monies into the county’s general fund
• Maintains an accurate record of all monies appropriated to the Recorder’s office for its operation
• Performs all accounting functions necessary to the operation of the Recorder’s office including preparation of annual budgets and reports, vouchers, purchase orders, etc., and maintains all payroll records, sick and vacation leave records and other records pertaining to the Recorder’s staff
• Files an ethic report annually, inventory of office equipment, affirmative action report, depository agreements for funds and every other report as required by law
• Notifies boards of county commissioners and township trustees annually of their duty to file zoning resolutions, maps and amendments
• The Williams County Recorder’s Office is prohibited by Ohio law from engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. This prohibits and prevents them from preparing or assisting in the preparation of any legal document or the giving of legal advice.