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

Under Michigan’s Freedom of Information Act, anyone can look up Kent County property records through the Register of Deeds, Equalization Department, and the county or local Treasurer’s Office. These offices provide public access to property records dating back to 1835 for over 231,000 land parcels across the county's 872 square miles.

Listed properties in the county are typically sold within 6 days, which is much faster than Michigan’s average. Healthcare, professional services, and manufacturing are the core sectors of Kent County's economy. The county has more single-family homes in its housing market.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $232,150 and median rent of $1,110, alongside a median household income of $75,429.5 and a median real estate tax rate of 1.17 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Kent County Property Records

You can use any of the three free online portals offered by Kent County to look up its property records. The portal to use depends on the property information you wish to obtain. To locate the records on the portals, search by available parameters such as parcel number, property address, grantee or grantor name, recording date range, and liber/page.

Who Keeps Kent County Property Records?

The Michigan Freedom of Information Act allows anyone to look up property records. Custody of these records in Kent County is held by designated county and local offices, including:

• Register of Deeds Office: The office records real estate documents, including deeds, mortgages, land contracts, liens, and assignments. It also processes record requests for recorded documents and provides online access to them.

• Local Assessors: The assessor's office in each Kent County municipality has specific functions, including determining each parcel's value and maintaining assessment information.

• Equalization Department: The department’s main duty is to equalize property values across all Kent municipalities to ensure fairness in property taxes. It also handles property tax maps for all parcels countywide.

• Local and County Treasurer: A local assessor is present in each Kent municipality to handle current taxes for properties within their jurisdiction, including billing, collection, and payment history records. The Kent County Treasurer handles delinquent taxes and foreclosures.

How to Search Kent County Property Records Online

You can search for Kent County property records online by following these steps:

1. Open the Property Search portal and enter the property address (street number and name) and Kent city/township/village to locate the parcel. The property search results will display a list of matching parcels with their specific parcel numbers and owner’s names.

2. Search for recorded property documents through the Register of Deeds Document Search. You can search by the grantor or grantee name, document number, liber/page, recording date, or parcel number.

3. Review the deed for each property transfer to verify the chain of title. The most recent deed includes the current owner's details. The grantee information on a prior deed should match the grantor named on the subsequent deed in the chain of title. Discrepancies should be noted.

4. Check for mortgages, land contracts, and liens through the Register of Deeds online index. You can use the document type filter to limit search results to the specific instrument you wish to search.

5. Confirm the tax status of the property through local treasurers and the Kent County Treasurer. The local treasurer for your municipality can provide tax records for current property taxes, while countywide delinquent tax information is available through the county Treasurer.

Register of Deeds: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

The Register of Deeds in Kent County is authorized to record real estate instruments, 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, this official also maintains recorded real estate instruments with details such as liber/page, grantee and grantor name, date processed, location, and other related information.

Assessors and Equalization: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

In Kent County, assessors handle property valuations independently at the municipal level. To ensure fairness, the Kent County Equalization Department works to equalize property values across all cities and townships in the county.

Michigan mandates that the State Equalized Value be established at 50% of the property’s True Cash Value. The local assessor calculates the taxable value, which is used to determine property taxes.

Access the county’s property search portal to verify assessment information, including historical sales, taxable and assessed values, zoning, acreage, building improvements, and current exemptions.

Treasurer’s Office: Taxes, Bills, and Payments

Under MCL 211.1, Michigan imposes a tax on properties within the state. The property taxes are billed twice a year, with the summer tax bill mailed at the beginning of July and the winter tax bill mailed in early December. Each Kent municipality has its own payment deadline, but the summer bill is generally due by mid-September while the winter bill is due in February.

Local treasurers handle current taxes, including billing and collection. Unpaid taxes are officially delinquent on March 1, and the Kent County Treasurer takes over the collection of all unpaid summer and winter bills. The county Treasurer also handles property foreclosures.

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

Michigan calculates property taxes by multiplying taxable value by the millage rate. County and local authorities determine the millage rate, where one mill represents $1 of tax per $1,000 of a property’s taxable value.

Proposal A and Uncapping

Michigan introduced Proposal A to limit the annual increase in a property’s taxable value to 5% or the inflation rate, whichever is lower. However, the State Equalized Value (Assessed Value) represents the Taxable Value in the tax year after a property transfer.

However, Michigan Law (MCL 211.27a) prevents property tax uncapping for certain property conveyances, such as transfer of ownership of non-commercial properties to spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren.

Exemptions and Relief

Appealing Your Value

Property owners in Kent County can appeal their property value with the local March Board of Review. You can gather evidence to present at the hearing, such as comparable sales, independent appraisals, and errors in property descriptions. If you disagree with the local board's decision, file an appeal with the Michigan Tax Tribunal.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Kent County handles parcel mapping through its Geographic Information System (GIS) Department. You can identify land parcels through the interactive map on Kent County iMap. Search by the property address to obtain information such as parcel number, owner’s name, parcel boundaries, property class, school district, acreage, taxable value, and parcel size.

The state provides access to statewide GIS data through Michigan's open GIS resources.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Michigan handles the two kinds of foreclosures with different processes:

Property-Tax Foreclosure

In Michigan, the county Treasurer manages delinquent property taxes and oversees foreclosures pursuant to MCL 211.78. This property-tax foreclosure procedure occurs within three years. Taxes become “Delinquent” on March 1 of the first year, forfeiture occurs in March of the second year, and the Kent County Treasurer finalizes the foreclosure process in the third year. After this process, the homeowner can no longer redeem the property and loses ownership rights. The county Treasurer will proceed to sell the property at a public auction.

Mortgage Foreclosure

Home mortgage foreclosures in Kent County are typically handled through advertisement, but the homeowner has six months from the sale date to redeem the property. Per MCL 600.3240, the owner must pay the purchase price at the sheriff’s sale, accumulated interest, and a $5 fee to the Register of Deeds to reclaim the property. Note that Michigan does not sell tax-lien certificates to investors.

Costs to Access Property Records

You will pay certain fees to access property records in Kent County, such as copy fees or recording fees.

Recording fees are specified in MCL 600.2567, while MCL 207.525 specifies the state rate for transfer tax, and the county rate under MCL 207.504. You can contact the Register of Deeds to confirm these fees.

How to Record a Document

You can record property records in Kent County under the Michigan Recording Act by following these steps:

1. Prepare the documents to comply with the recording requirements, such as using black or dark blue ink, including the required information, and a notary acknowledgment.

2. Calculate the recording fees and other costs by checking the Register of Deeds fee schedule. Recording an instrument costs $30, and the grantor will pay a transfer tax of $8.60 per $1,000 of sale price.

3. Submit documents for recording in person, by mail, or through an authorized e-recording vendor. Additionally, file the Property Transfer Affidavit (Form L-4260) within 45 days of the transfer with your city/township assessor. You also need a tax certification from the county Treasurer’s office if you record instruments like warranty deeds, assignments, or land contracts.

4. Retrieve the recorded document if required. If submitted by mail, the Register of Deeds will return original documents after recording to the return address. Recorded documents are officially added to the grantee-grantor index and are available online.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Kent County Property Records Checklist

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