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The Department of Real Estate, a consolidation of the Office of the Recorder of Deeds and the mapping and ownership sections of the Office of Property Assessments, is responsible for recording documents and maintaining real property records for Allegheny County.
Recording Fees
The fee to record a deed, mortgage or easement is $181.75.
*This is a FLAT FEE. There are no additional charges unless document includes more than 30 names, which the fee would be $5.00 per name
Or if there are over 30 parcels (only parcels that require deed certification, $10.00 per parcel). This does not apply to leases or mortgages.
*Power of Attorney - $50.00
*Financial Statements - $150.00
Copies:
Per page up to 11" x 17" - $1.00
Per page 24" x 30/36" - $3.00
The Department of Real Estate will accept certified checks, business checks, or money orders. Cash will be accepted if presented in person. Personal checks are not accepted, except for recording notary commissions.
All checks must be made payable to the Allegheny County Department of Real Estate.
Business checks must include an address and telephone number on the check.
Checks and money orders must be for the exact correct amount of the transaction. Checks and money orders for incorrect amounts will be cause for the document(s) to be rejected.
Two separate checks must be submitted for recording fees and for realty transfer taxes -- they cannot be combined on one check. The state, municipality and school district realty transfer taxes can be combined on one check.
A maximum of five document transactions can be included on one check.
Draw down accounts cannot be used for payment of realty transfer taxes.
Draw down account customers must recite their account number to the cashier for recordings, or for processing account payments.
Contact the Allegheny Department of Real Estate at (412) 350-4226 if you have questions regarding recording or recording fees.
Document Formatting Requirements
Acceptable document sizes are 8-1/2 x 11 or 8-1/2 x 14 inches. Subdivision plans are the exception.
Documents must be on single sheets of white or manila paper. Continuous paper is not acceptable. Documents may contain text on both sides of a sheet of paper. However, each side with text counts as one page for calculating recording fees.
Documents must be fully typed in black ink, with a font size no smaller than 10 point. Handwriting is not permitted, except for signatures, acknowledgments, Statement of Value forms, and book volume page numbers on second and subsequent documents ONLY for concurrent recordings.
Deeds and deed-related documents should have a minimum 1 inch margin at the top for certification stamping.
The "Record and Mail to" area must include a name and address with zip code, and should be typed, but not within the top 1 inch required margin.
The Certificate of Residence must be typed, and conform to Department of Real Estate standards.
Documents with tape, glue, staples, correctional fluid or tape, or highlighted areas will not be accepted.
Documents containing social security numbers will not be accepted for recording.
The worded dollar consideration must match the numerical amount on all deeds and mortgages.
Deeds and mortgages must have complete legal descriptions. The legal description must include municipality, ward if in the City of Pittsburgh, county and state, and one of the following:
1. A lot number along with the Plan Book volume and page number reference of the recorded subdivision
2. A complete lot description in metes and bounds. The metes and bounds can be footage and degree measurements or bounds of other properties and streets and distances.
3. A prior deed reference for the same property (including complete book volume number and page number).
Acknowledgments must include the following: county, state, date, persons/corporate officers appearing, notary signature, and notary rubber stamp. The use of a notary embosser seal is optional for Pennsylvania acknowledgments. If any of these requirements are missing, the acknowledgment is considered defective, and the document will be rejected for recording.
The notary stamp must be clear, legible (not faded) and in the vicinity of the acknowledgment. Writing or typing information on the notary stamp is a violation of Chapter 12 of the Pennsylvania Notary Law. Pennsylvania has adopted the Uniform Acknowledgment Act, and therefore all acknowledgments must comply with the Act. See Purdon's 21 Section 291.1 et seq.
The acknowledgment date of a document must not predate the document date.
All foreign language documents must include written English translations to be recorded with the original notarized instrument.
All mortgage satisfactions must be accompanied by either the original mortgage, or a certified copy of the original mortgage, or a copy of the first page of the original recorded mortgage. If a satisfaction is submitted for an original mortgage that was recorded after June 30, 2003, the Department of Real Estate Coversheet that accompanied the recorded mortgage must also be submitted.
Multiple documents constituting one transaction must be clearly numbered for order of recording. Re-recording expenses resulting from an incorrect order of recording shall be the responsibility of the submitter.
Parcel identification numbers (Block and Lot numbers) must appear on City of Pittsburgh deeds.
Multiple parcels may be recorded on one deed.
Any taxable deed presented for recording, with the property situated in more than one municipality, must be accompanied by a Statement of Value form in duplicate. The disbursement of local realty transfer taxes to the municipalities and school districts must be specified by percentage and dollar amounts in whole numbers.
Deeds that require a Statement of Value form (in duplicate) must be completely filled out, signed and dated. The Statement of Value form is considered as constituting one page of the document.
Corrective Documents
Deed: If the submitter is using the original recorded deed or a certified copy of the deed to make a correction the following must apply:
The deed must be resigned by the grantor(s) and their signatures must be re-acknowledged by a notary public.
The reason for the correction must be stated on the re-signature page. The DBV and page number are already displayed on the original recorded coversheet.
The deed must be accompanied by a statement of value in duplicate, again stating the reason for the correction.
A copy of the recorded deed being corrected must be attached to the statement of value that is to be forwarded to Harrisburg.
Mortgage: If the submitter is using the original mortgage or a certified copy of the mortgage to make a correction the following must apply:
The mortgage must be resigned by the mortgagor(s) and their signatures must be re-acknowledged by a notary public.
The reason for the correction must be stated on the re-signature page. The MBV and page number are already displayed on the original recorded coversheet.