Iron County, MI Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Local and county agencies maintain real estate records for over 18,000 parcels across Iron County's 1,211 square miles. Custodians of these records include the Register of Deeds, Equalization Department, and the county or local Treasurer’s Office.

Listed properties spend between 56 and 78 days on the market before going under contract, which is significantly slower than the state’s average. The landlocked county economy is driven by manufacturing, healthcare, retail, and tourism. Single-family detached homes make up most of the county's housing stock.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $81,700 and median rent of $708, alongside a median household income of $54,282.5 and a median real estate tax rate of 1.63 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Iron County Property Records

Iron County allows anyone to look up property records through its official online search portals. There are three main portals for accessing property records, and you can search by grantee/grantor name, property address, liber/page, or parcel number.

Each portal offers different property information based on the custodian’s database.

Who Keeps Iron County Property Records?

Several local and county agencies keep custody of property records in Iron County. The Michigan Freedom of Information Act authorizes public access to these records maintained by the following agencies:

• The Register of Deeds in Iron County maintains land records, including warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, land contracts, mortgages, releases, assignments, powers of attorney, and liens.

• The local assessors handle property value assessments for their municipalities and maintain property information, such as Taxable Value, parcel number, ownership details, exemptions, State Assessed Value, and property descriptions.

• The Iron County Equalization Department handles assessments across the county. It also maintains assessment rolls, tax maps, and millage information.

• The local Treasurer maintains records related to summer and winter property tax billing and collections. However, the collection of delinquent property taxes is handled by the Iron County Treasurer’s Office.

How to Search Iron County Property Records Online

You can follow these steps to search Iron County property records online:

1. Open the BS&A Online portal to identify the parcel. You can search using the property address or grantee’s name to view all matching properties and their parcel numbers.

2. Access the Register of Deeds database through the Land Records Search System. As a guest, you can search the portal using a relevant name or liber/page and filter by recording date range, document type, document category, and party type.

3. Confirm the chain of title by accessing deeds through the Land Records Search System. Deeds help trace ownership by checking whether the grantor listed on a recent deed matches the grantee on the previous deed. Note any gap that signifies a break in the chain of title.

4. Check for liens and mortgages. You can obtain these records through the Register of Deeds Land Records Search System. Select “liens” and “mortgage” under the document category/type search criteria to check for active liens or mortgage debts against the property.

5. Verify the property’s current tax status through the local treasurer. You can access current tax bills, payment history, collection details, and other current tax information online through the BS&A Online portal. Delinquent tax information is accessible through the Iron County Treasurer's Office.

Register of Deeds: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

The Iron County Register of Deeds is the official recording office for all real estate documents countywide. The office records several types of records, including:

• Warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, and covenant deeds

• Mortgages, discharges, assignments, and land contracts

• Federal and state tax liens, construction liens, and judgment liens

• Easements, restrictive covenants, and powers of attorney

• Subdivision plats, condominium master deeds, and surveys

Under MCL 565.28, the Register of Deeds also adds recorded documents to the county’s real estate index with references such as liber/page and grantee/grantor names.

Assessors and Equalization: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The city and township assessors in Iron County set property values for their jurisdictions, while the Iron County Equalization Department ensures all properties countywide are uniformly assessed.

Michigan sets the State Equalized Value (Assessed Value) at 50% of a property's True Cash Value (TCV), but it uses the taxable value to calculate property taxes. Visit the county's property search portal to obtain assessing information, such as parcel characteristics, assessed value, Taxable Value, ownership data, exemptions, zoning, and sale history.

Treasurer’s Office: Taxes, Bills, and Payments

The local treasurer for each Iron County municipality handles current taxes, with the summer bill issued in July and the winter tax bill issued in December. Local treasurers also process current property tax payments from issuance through the deadline. Each municipality sets its payment deadline, but summer bills are typically due in mid-September while winter bills are due in February.

All unpaid accounts officially become “Delinquent” on March 1 and are forwarded to the Iron County Treasurer's Office for collection. Delinquent taxes that remain unpaid for about three years with redemption may result in property foreclosure.

Property Tax in Iron County: Values, Exemptions, and Appeals

All real property in Iron County is subject to taxation per MCL 211.1. A property's Taxable Value is used to calculate property taxes by multiplying it by the local millage rate. Local authorities in each municipality and county agencies, such as school districts and local boards, set the millage rate.

Proposal A and Uncapping

Proposal A introduced the use of the Taxable Value to determine property taxes and capped the annual increase in value at 5% or the rate of inflation, whichever is higher.

However, a property’s Taxable Value resets to its State Equalized Value (Assessed Value) for the tax year after it is sold per MCL 211.27a. Exceptions to this include the transfer of ownership of residential properties to a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or grandchild.

Exemptions and Relief

Appealing Your Value

In Iron County, homeowners can appeal their property value with the local March Board of Review upon receiving an assessment notice. To support the appeal, gather relevant evidence such as comparable sales, professional appraisals, and errors in the assessment. The Michigan Tax Tribunal hears any further appeal.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Iron County offers public access to its Geographic Information System (GIS) and parcel viewer through an online portal. You can open the portal to search and view property information, such as parcel boundaries, parcel sales, ownership details, assessed value, and legal description.

You can also access the Michigan GIS Open Data to find information about land parcels across the state.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Michigan handles two types of foreclosure with different procedures.

Property-Tax Foreclosure

Michigan's property tax foreclosure process is governed by MCL 211.78. The Iron County Treasurer enforces foreclosure when property taxes go unpaid for three years. When taxes become “Delinquent,” interest and other fees are added, and the property may be forfeited if unpaid in the second year. The property owner can redeem the property by paying the outstanding fees, but failure to do so by the third year may result in permanent loss of the property. The county Treasurer sells tax-delinquent properties in a public auction after the court issues a final foreclosure judgment.

Mortgage Foreclosure

Late mortgage payments in Michigan can lead to foreclosure. Foreclosures are usually done via advertising. The lender then auctions the property at a sheriff's sale. Under MCL 600.3240, you can redeem the property within six months after the sheriff's sale. Michigan does not sell tax-lien certificates to investors.

Costs to Access Property Records

The costs to access property records in Iron County typically depend on the service, such as recording documents or obtaining certified copies. The fees for these services include:

While the recording fee is governed by MCL 600.2567, the state transfer tax rate is defined under MCL 207.525, and the county tax rate is specified in MCL 207.504.

How to Record a Document

The Michigan Recording Act outlines the requirements for recording a property document in Iron County. You can follow these steps to record a document with the Register of Deeds:

1. Prepare the document for recording in compliance with the state’s recording requirements, such as including the necessary addresses and notary acknowledgment. Also, use the required margins, font size, ink color, and paper size.

2. Determine the fees incurred to record the document. You can check the Register of Deeds fee schedule to calculate recording costs and other associated charges.

3. Submit the document for recording to the Register of Deeds in person, by mail, or through an authorized e-recording vendor. You must also obtain a tax certificate from the Iron County Treasurer’s Office before recording warranty deeds, land contracts, covenant deeds, and assignments of land contracts.

4. Retrieve the recorded document if needed. You may receive the original documents back if you filed by mail or obtain the recorded documents online through the Register of Deeds land records portal.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Iron County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals