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

Property records in Macomb County keep detailed information about approximately 332,800 real estate parcels across 13 cities, 11 townships, and 3 villages. The county’s Register of Deeds and Treasurer’s office keeps these records and provides ways for anyone to access them. An increase in the county’s young adult demography over the decade has fueled the local economy, alongside key sectors such as aerospace and defense, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Similar to Michigan’s average, homes for sale in Macomb stay on the market between 15 and 35 days before offers come in. Single-family detached homes are popular in the county and make up 68% of its housing units.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $232,250 and median rent of $1,109.5, alongside a median household income of $75,441 and a median real estate tax rate of 1.43 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Macomb County Property Records

Macomb County ensures public access to property records through official online portals that anyone can use to look up such information. Any document kept by the Register of Deeds Office, including deeds, mortgages, liens, lis pendens, assignments, plats, or land agreements, is available online through its Document Search portal.

You can also visit the BS&A Online portal to search for property records across the local offices of each Macomb municipality, including assessment and property tax information. Use the search functionality to select the city or town and search by the property address, owner’s name, or parcel number.

Who Keeps Macomb County Property Records?

Depending on the record type, Macomb County property records are held by local and county agencies. Public access to these records is authorized under the Michigan Freedom of Information Act. The Michigan Freedom of Information Act authorizes public access to these records except for exempt information or documents. The following agencies function as custodians of these records:

• Macomb County Register of Deeds: The Macomb County Clerk’s Office includes the Register of Deeds, who is responsible for maintaining deeds, assignments, mortgages, liens, lis pendens, and other real estate documents recorded in the county.

• Local assessors: Each Macomb city/township has an Assessing Department that handles its assessment roll. The department determines property valuation and assessment for parcels within the municipality’s jurisdiction. It also maintains property information, such as assessed values, ownership details, property descriptions, exemptions, and parcel numbers.

• Macomb County Equalization Department: This county-level department ensures property assessments across all Macomb municipalities are fair and uniform. It maintains parcel maps and reports related to equalization, millage reductions, and apportionment.

• Local and county Treasurer: Each Macomb city/township handles and keeps records of current property tax billing, collections, and non-delinquent payment history through its local treasurer’s office. Delinquent tax records and foreclosure details are under the custody of the Macomb County Treasurer’s office.

How to Search Macomb County Property Records Online

Macomb County property records are searchable online through the following steps:

1. Locate the parcel through the Macomb County BS&A Online portal, which offers a search interface for finding property details, including the Parcel ID. You can search by the owner’s name or property address.

2. Search the grantee-grantor index through the Register of Deeds Document Search portal. The portal allows searches by grantee or grantor name, recording date range, document number, liber/page, Parcel ID, or document type.

3. Establish the property ownership and verify chain of title through the Register of Deeds search portal. Search the deeds recorded for each property sale or transfer and verify that the grantee’s details on the most recent deed match the grantor’s information in the previous deed. Note any discrepancies in the property's title chain.

4. Check for liens and mortgages. To review claims against a property in Macomb, use the Document Types search on the Register of Deeds portal. Filter the search results by selecting “liens” and “mortgage” to access these documents. This will help you verify any active lien or mortgage debt recorded against the property.

5. Verify the current tax status. Property tax information maintained by the Macomb County Treasurer or local offices can help you confirm its tax status. You can search for current tax balances, tax bills, parcel maps, and delinquent taxes for any property in a Macomb municipality directly on the BS&A Online portal. Choose the municipality on the portal and search for property tax records by address, name, or parcel number.

Register of Deeds: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

In Macomb County, the County Clerk serves as the Register of Deeds and records all real estate instruments under the Michigan Recording Act. These documents include:

• 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 maintains Macomb’s official real estate index, containing details such as document references and grantee/grantor names.

Assessors and Equalization: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The local assessor’s office handles property valuation and assessments in Macomb County for each municipality, while the c ounty Equalization Department’s duty is to ensure fairness of assessments across the county. Note that the Equalization Department does not oversee the local assessors and cannot change individual parcel assessment values.

Local assessors conduct appraisals to determine the Market Value of properties within their jurisdictions. Michigan sets the State Equalized Value (Assessed Value) at 50% of the FMV. Assessing information you can check on the county’s search portal includes property class, year built, exemption information, assessed value, taxable value, parcel characteristics (zoning, acreage, and improvements), and sale history.

Treasurer’s Office: Taxes, Bills, and Payments

All real property in Macomb County is subject to taxation under Michigan law (MCL 211.1). Property taxes are split into summer and winter bills, issued by local municipal treasurers on July 1 and December 1. Local treasurers in Macomb County handle tax billing and collection during the active seasons through February.

On March 1, the tax cycle shifts and all unpaid accounts officially become “Delinquent”. The Macomb County Treasurer's Office handles delinquent accounts, including collecting outstanding payments and interest penalties. The county office also enforces the property foreclosure process.

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

In Macomb County, property taxes are levied on the Taxable Value and then multiplied by the local millage rate to determine the final tax bill. Each county municipality proposes the annual millage rate for its jurisdiction through local authorities, such as the city or township council and local school board. The Macomb County Board of Commissioners reviews and approves the millage rate for the municipalities.

Proposal A and Uncapping

Michigan introduced Proposal A to regulate annual property tax increases. Under this law, property taxes are based on Taxable Value, and the increase is limited to 5% or the Inflation Rate Multiplier (IRM), whichever is lower for the tax year.

However, this tax cap does not apply to the tax year after a property is sold per MCL 211.27a. Property transfer in Michigan triggers the uncapping process, in which the property tax for new homeowners after purchase is levied on the State Equalized Value (Assessed Value). Uncapping does not apply to non-commercial property transfers to qualified family members, including a spouse, parent, sibling, child, or grandchild, through a will or intestate succession.

Exemptions and Relief

Appealing Your Value

You can appeal your assessment in Macomb County directly to the city or township Board of Review in the municipality where you own a home. Present any evidence to the board at the hearing, such as errors in your property record information, comparable sales, or independent appraisals. The Michigan Tax Tribunal may hear appeals denied by the board.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

The Macomb County Department of Planning and Economic Development maintains and provides access to the county’s mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) services. Open the Parcel Explorer to search for land parcels by address or parcel number and view parcel boundaries, ownership information, zoning, legal description, flood zone information, valuation, and tax map.

You can also use the Michigan GIS Open Data to obtain details about land parcels statewide.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Michigan handles two types of foreclosure, each with a different process.

Property-tax Foreclosure

The county Treasurer handles delinquent property taxes in Michigan and enforces foreclosures under MCL 211.78. The property-tax foreclosure process typically takes three years. Taxes become “Delinquent” on March 1 of the first year, forfeiture follows in March of the second year, and the foreclosure begins in the third year. The homeowner cannot redeem the property after a final foreclosure judgment is issued, and the county Treasurer sells it in a public auction.

Mortgage Foreclosure

Most home mortgage foreclosures are handled through advertisement, and the redemption period to reclaim the property is typically six months after the sheriff’s sale per MCL 600.3240. Note that Michigan does not sell tax-lien certificates to investors.

Costs to Access Property Records

The following costs may apply when accessing property records in Macomb County, including recording a new document or requesting a certified copy:

MCL 600.2567 sets the recording fees, while the transfer tax follows the state rate under MCL 207.525 and the county rate under MCL 207.504.

How to Record a Document

The Michigan Recording Act outlines the requirements for successfully recording a property document. You can follow these steps:

1. Ensure the document complies with the statutory recording requirements. These include adding the names and signatures of the involved parties legibly, a notary acknowledgment, required margins and size, and the grantee's full address.

2. Check the fee schedule on the Register of Deeds website to determine the recording fees and other associated costs. Typically, you will pay $30 to record an instrument, alongside other charges.

3. Submit documents for recording in person, by mail, or through an authorized e-recording vendor. If applicable, file the Property Transfer Affidavit (Form L-4260) within 45 days of the transfer with the local assessor. You may also be required to get the documents tax certified at the Macomb County Treasurer’s Office.

4. Retrieve the recorded document if needed. The Register of Deeds typically returns documents received for recording after review. The Register also indexes them within the county’s official real estate records.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Macomb County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals