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

In Saginaw County, property records are handled at the county, city, village, and township levels. Offices such as the Register of Deeds, Treasurer, Equalization, and local assessors oversee the records covering about 92,000 parcels of land in the county.

A typical listed home in the county sells in about 24 days, which is faster than the Michigan average of 42 days. Single-family detached homes comprise the majority of the housing stock. These homes are spread around the city of Saginaw, the county seat, and developing areas such as Saginaw Township, Thomas Township, and Tittawassee Township.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $143,200 and median rent of $867, alongside a median household income of $61,651 and a median real estate tax rate of 1.51 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Saginaw County Property Records

Property records in Saginaw County are handled by three county offices along with local municipal assessing offices.

Who Keeps Saginaw County Property Records?

Saginaw County property records are managed by several county and local municipal offices. According to the Michigan Freedom of Information Act, the recorded documents are open to the public through agencies such as:

• The Saginaw County Register of Deeds is the official keeper of all property records in the county. The office records deeds, mortgages, land contracts, liens, easements, and plats under the Michigan Recording Act.

• Local assessors (cities, townships, and villages) establish the assessed value and taxable value of every parcel in Saginaw County. If your desired property is nearby, you can contact the local assessors for assessed values, property cards, and other information.

• The Saginaw County Equalization Department does not assess individual parcels in the county. Rather, it assists municipal assessors by maintaining accurate legal descriptions, maps, and valuations. It provides a search portal that enables individuals to search for property information on a specific property.

• Treasurers handle the collection of funds. Each city, village, and town in Saginaw County has a local treasurer who mails bills and collects current property taxes. The Saginaw County Treasurer’s Office collects all delinquent taxes and handles tax forfeiture and foreclosure processes.

How to Search Saginaw County Property Records Online

You can search Saginaw County property records through some official record databases. To access the records, follow these steps:

1. Visit the Saginaw County Equalization Property Search portal. You can search the portal by using the property address or owner name. Your search will reveal the parcel ID, assessed value, taxable value, school district, most recent sale information, and property characteristics.

2. Next, search the Saginaw County Register of Deeds Search Requests with the owner’s name.

3. Review the property’s chain of title from the most recent deed and work your way backward through earlier transfers. The grantor’s name listed on one deed must match the grantee’s name shown on the previous deed. Any inconsistency in this sequence is a red flag, which may require you to conduct additional title research.

4. You can search the Register of Deeds index for outstanding liens, mortgages, judgments, and related documents. Beware that the transfer tax stamp on a deed may provide an estimate of the last sale price. It does not reflect the actual last sale price of the property.

5. To finish the process, confirm the tax status of a property through the Saginaw County Treasurer Property Tax Portal or the local treasurer’s online database. You will face higher interest and fees for not paying your property taxes on time. Property taxes that remain delinquent for more than one year are placed into forfeiture and will attract a higher interest rate.

Register of Deeds: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

The Saginaw County Register of Deeds records all official documents that affect real estate ownership. It maintains records, including mortgages, warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, easements, plats, liens, and other documents related to real estate transactions. Under MCL 565.28, the office indexes land documents by the names of the grantor and grantee for easy public access.

Local Assessors and Equalization: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

In Saginaw County, property assessment is split between local assessors and the county equalization department. First, the local assessor for each city, village, or township sets the values of each taxable property. Then, the county equalization department equalizes property values across local units and maintains the parcel maps.

A property valuation usually involves the assessed value, taxable value, and the capped value. The local assessors determine the property’s assessed value, known as the State Equalized Value, which is set at 50% of the fair market value. The taxable value is the value used to calculate a final tax bill. Individuals can use the Property Search webpage to find information concerning the current owner of a property, assessed value, State Equalized Value, taxable value, property characteristics, and exemptions.

Treasurer’s Office: Taxes, Bills, and Payments

In Saginaw, the local treasurers mail tax bills to property owners twice a year. In summer, they mail bills in early July, and the bills are generally due by mid-September. Winter bills go out in early December and are due by mid-February. Contact your local treasurer for exact dates or additional information. Local treasurers mail tax bills and collect current property taxes while the Saginaw County Treasurer takes over collection once taxes become delinquent on March 1.

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

The local assessors in Saginaw County establish the fair market value of a property on December 31 of every taxable year. They levy the State Equalized Value (SEV) of the property, which, by law, is established at 50% of the fair market value. The SEV value is then multiplied by the millage rate, set by local tax entities, including cities, townships, villages, and school districts, to give the taxable value. The taxable value is legally capped by Proposal A or the inflation rate.

Exemptions are applied to lower the taxable value. Finally, the local treasurers mail the tax bills to property owners in Saginaw County.

• Property tax due = SEV * millage rate

• State Equalization Value = FMV x 50%

Proposal A and Uncapping

Under Proposal A, a property’s taxable value is legally capped. It can only increase by the rate of inflation or 5%, whichever is less, from the previous year. Over many years, a property's taxable value can fall below its assessed value. Uncapping removes the legal cap when a property changes ownership from one person to another. According to the General Property Tax Act, some transfers do not uncap, including certain transfers between spouses or close family members.

Exemptions and Relief

Saginaw provides exemptions and various relief programs that lower property taxes for qualifying homeowners.

Appealing Your Value

To appeal a property assessment in Saginaw County, you must file an appeal with the local March Board of Review, which hears assessment appeals each spring. If that does not resolve it, you can appeal to the Michigan Tax Tribunal by the statutory deadline.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Saginaw County hosts its parcel mapping on the SAGA Parcel Viewer. You can find property information, such as municipal boundaries, subdivision, aerial imagery, zoning, basemaps, soil information, and FEMA flood zones.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

The Saginaw County Treasurer files tax foreclosure actions in court to collect outstanding property taxes. Foreclosures in Saginaw County typically fall into two categories. These include mortgage foreclosures and property-tax foreclosures.

Property-Tax Foreclosure

When property taxes go unpaid, the Saginaw County Treasurer files a judgment of foreclosure with the Circuit Court between January 30 and March 1 under the Public Act of 1999. According to this law, property owners can redeem their property before March 31 of the third year.

If the property owner files a written objection to the foreclosure petition, the redemption deadline extends to 21 days after the Circuit Court enters judgment of foreclosure. Once the redemption period expires or the 21-day contested deadline passes, the owner loses all rights to the property, and it is sold at public auction.

Mortgage Foreclosure

In Saginaw County, mortgage foreclosures follow a non-judicial process known as foreclosure advertisement under MCL 600.3240. A property is sold at a public auction, usually at the Saginaw County Sheriff’s Office or a designated location like the county courthouse. The property owner has a redemption period, commonly six months, to pay off the debt and reclaim the property.

Costs to Access Property Records

According to MCL 600.2567, individuals who want to record instruments or obtain copies of property records in Saginaw County must pay certain fees. Depending on the service requested, these fees include:

How to Record a Document

In Saginaw County, you must follow the state’s recording requirements when you submit property documents for recording. To do so, kindly follow these steps:

1. Prepare a document that includes original signatures, a notarized acknowledgment, a proper legal description, and the required margins.

2. Calculate recording fees. The standard recording fee for most deeds in Saginaw County is $30 per document. The seller must pay the state transfer tax and satisfy the county transfer tax requirements. Check the recording fees or contact the Saginaw County Register of Deeds by phone at (989) 790-5270 to know the exact fee.

3. Submit the completed documents, along with required forms, to the Saginaw County Register of Deeds’ office in person, by mail, or through an approved e-recording vendor. File a Property Transfer Affidavit with your local assessor within 45 days of the transfer.

4. Once submitted, the Register of Deeds reviews the documents for compliance, assigns a recording number, and adds the document to the county’s official land records.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Saginaw County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals