Macomb County Property Search
Macomb County property records are documents containing details on real property located within the county. The County Clerk/Register of Deeds in Macomb County is the primary office that files and maintains Macomb County Public Records, including property records generated by county residents and other involved parties. Such documents include deeds, mortgages, liens, lis pendens, and state and federal tax liens.
The Register of Deeds charges a recording fee of $30 on these documents, regardless of the number of pages being recorded. Property documents submitted to the Register of Deeds for recording must:
- Include the addresses of the grantees
- Include the death certificate of deceased grantors (if applicable)
- Have original signatures, with names typed, stamped, or printed beneath the signatures
- Bear the address and name of the person who drafted the document
- Be on paper and within the size range of 8.5 by 11 inches and 8.5 by 14 inches
- Be printed in black ink and not be smaller than a 10-point font
- Have a 2.5-inch margin at the top of the document, and 0.5 inches at the remaining sides of each page
Besides filing and record-keeping services, the clerk's office grants interested parties access to real estate documents upon request. Parties may request property records (sometimes called "conducting a property search") for different reasons, including determining ownership rights to real estate or checking if liens were attached to a piece of property.
Are Macomb County Property Records Public?
Yes. Under Section 565.551 of the Michigan Compiled Laws (the state's public records law), the register of deeds must make reasonable facilities for the public inspection and copying of records and files in their custody. This law also extends to property tax records kept by the Macomb County Treasurer.
However, not all property records are open to the public. Records exempted from public access include:
- Instruments temporarily left at the register of deeds office that have not been recorded
- All or at least the first five digits of an individual's social security number
- Appraisals of real property to be acquired. However, the restriction only holds until one of the following occurs:
- An agreement is reached.
- Three years have elapsed since the appraisal
What Do Macomb County Property Records Contain?
The information available to persons who conduct a property record search in Macomb County depends on the mode of search (e.g., online, in person) and the record type. However, individuals can find the following data in a typical Macomb County property record maintained by the Register of Deeds:
- The document type (mortgage, deed, agreement, etc.)
- The document number
- The date and time the document was recorded
- The number of pages of the recorded document
- The recording fee
- The liber/page number
- The grantor/grantee names
- The property's legal description
- The type of document
- A scanned copy of a property document
Where to Perform a Macomb County Property Lookup
Macomb County property records are filed and maintained by the county's register of deeds. Therefore, individuals who want to perform a Macomb County property lookup can start with this office. Search can be conducted in person, via mail, or online.
A requester visiting the Register of Deeds office can use public computer terminals to disseminate property records. These computers provide indexes of property records at no charge. However, if staff assist the requester, it costs $5 per search. A requester who requires copies of property documents must also pay a fee: $1 per copy. The register of deeds office requires visitors to book an appointment beforehand. Property record requests are only accepted on weekdays (see office hours).
Alternatively, an individual can mail a duly completed copy of the Macomb County Real Estate Records Search Form to the register of deeds. The requester must indicate the requested search type, the grantee's name, an approximate recording date, and a description of the requested record. Each request costs $5 per search and $1 per page (for copies). Requesters must send the payment, including a self-addressed stamped envelope, to the address below.
Macomb County Register of Deeds
120 North Main Street
Mount Clemens, MI 48043
Phone: (586) 469-7953
Fax: (586) 469-5130
Email: registerofdeeds@macombgov.org
The Macomb County Register of Deeds also has a search tool that requesters can use to find local property records online. Online users have access to a basic or advanced property record search. They can also request copies of real estate documents.
- Basic Document Search & Copies: This is an easy method of conducting a free search of property records in Macomb County. The basic search tool primarily utilizes a grantor or grantee's name to generate results for a user. However, one can also use the "Either Party" search option if unsure whether the property owner is the grantor or grantee and other search keywords like a recording date to search property records.
Note that any document copy produced after a basic search is degraded. Nonetheless, a user can purchase a clear copy at $6 per document. Payments are made with credit cards.
- Advanced Subscription Document Search & Copies: With this web application, individuals can search property records for free. Search parameters include a property's address, legal description or parcel ID, or grantee/grantor names. However, an individual must become a registered user and subscribe to a plan. Below are the three available subscription plans:
- $25 for 24 hours, where each document purchased costs $1
- $75 for one week, where each document purchased costs $0.75
- $250 for one month, where each document purchased costs $0.50
How to Perform a Property Owner Lookup in Macomb County
Records containing property ownership information (e.g., deeds) can be requested from the Macomb County Register of Deeds office. Requesters can book an appointment to visit the office and use one of the public computer terminals. They can also send a mail request or use the office's online property search tool.
Additionally, the Macomb County Equalization Department and treasurer's office work with a third-party vendor to offer the public an online property and tax information lookup tool. The tool can be accessed via the Equalization Department's website under "Property" on the left menu or through the Macomb County Treasurer's website on the tax information page. Searches can typically be conducted with a property owner's name, address, or parcel ID number.
How to Find Macomb County Property Records Online
There are several third-party websites dedicated to curating and disseminating Macomb County property records online. Some websites release information for a fee, which varies based on the quantity of information dispensed and the provider. Others provide little information for free and paywall the more comprehensive details. Nonetheless, the search criteria used to obtain property information from these sites is usually a property owner's name or property address.
While requesters have many independent property search providers to choose from - depending on the sought-after information and one's financial capacity - it is still crucial to check retrieved records against the county's official records to ensure accuracy.
How to Find Property Owner by Address for Free
Individuals who wish to determine the owner of a particular property address for free can contact the assessor's office in the township, village, or city where the property lies. One may also find a public data portal on the relevant assessor's website (for example, the Macomb Township Assessor's website), where they can conduct property address searches for free to determine who legitimately owns a piece of property in the township. The same portal can be accessed through the Macomb County Equalization Department and county treasurer's websites (as explained above) to conduct property address searches in other county areas. Among the plethora of property and tax information provided after an address search on the portal is a property owner's full name.
Note: Although the Macomb County Register of Deeds disseminates property records to the public, the office does not organize accessible records by property address. Typically, this office requires a property owner's name to find related records for a requester. In other words, the register of deeds cannot process property search requests solely with an address.
Macomb County Property Tax Lookup
The Macomb County Treasurer is the collector of property taxes in the county. The department also provides the public with taxpayer assistance and access to property tax records. Thus, persons who want to conduct a property tax lookup in Macomb County (perhaps to verify their property tax obligations) can contact the office at:
Macomb County Treasurer's Office
1 South Main, 2nd Floor
Mount Clemens, MI 48043
Phone: (586) 469-5190
Email: treasurer@macombgov.org
The treasurer's office also provides for property tax lookup online.
How to Find Macomb County Property Appraiser
The Michigan Licensing And Regulatory Affairs (LARA) governs the issuance of appraiser licenses in the state. Property appraisers perform the following functions:
- They issue evaluations, opinions, conclusions, or analyses relating to the value of real property.
- They perform real estate market analysis.
- They assess the value of real property for taxation.
Individuals can follow these steps to find a property appraiser in Macomb County through LARA:
- Visit LARA's Find or Verify a Licensed Professional page.
- Under Occupational Professionals, select "Appraisal Management Company" or "Appraisal, Real Estate". Either take the user to the Licensee Search page.
- Fill in the county (i.e., Macomb) and license type fields, then hit the search button. Individuals can also complete other fields (e.g., the license number or name fields) to narrow the search results.
Macomb County Property Assessor
Assessors' offices (also called assessing departments) in Macomb County carry out several duties, including:
- The identification of all taxable property within a municipality
- The valuation of property within a town or city's limits for taxation
- Determining, listing, categorizing, and appraising tax-exempt property
- Preparing annual assessment rolls
- Maintaining detailed sales information on properties
Interested parties can find a local assessor's office in the township, city, or village where a property lies. Below are some locations and contact numbers.
Eastpointe Assessor
23200 Gratiot Avenue
Eastpointe, MI 48021
Phone: ((586) 445-3661
Fraser Assessor
33000 Garfield Road
Fraser, MI 48026
Phone: (586) 293- 3100
Harrison Township Assessor
38151 L'anse Creuse
Harrison, MI 48045
Phone: (586) 466- 1410
Macomb Township Assessor
54111 Broughton Road
1st Floor
Macomb, MI 48042
Phone: (586) 992-0710 x2
Fax: (586) 992-0719
Roseville City Assessor
29777 Gratiot Avenue
Roseville MI 48066
Phone: (586) 445-5440
Fax: (586) 445-5402
Shelby Township Assessor
52700 Van Dyke Avenue
Shelby, MI 48316
Phone: (586) 731-5910
Fax: (586) 254-3773
Sterling Heights City Assessor
40555 Utica Road
Sterling Heights, MI 48313
Phone: (586) 446-2340
Fax: (586) 276-4038
Individuals can also contact the Macomb County Equalization Department for information about local assessors.
Macomb County Equalization Department
1 South Main Street, 6th Floor
Mount Clemens, MI 48043
Phone: (586) 469-5260
