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The Recording Department of the County Auditor is responsible for recording and maintaining real property records in Cowlitz County.
Recording Fees
Standard Fee:
First Page ..........................$303.50
Each Additional Page ........ $1.00
Deed of Trust:
First Page ......................... $304.50
Each Additional Page ........$1.00
Multiple Transaction Documents:
First Transaction (except exceptions listed below) ..... $303.50
Each Additional Transaction Title .......303.50
Each Additional Page ........ $1.00
UCC Filings (National Form Accepted)
First Page ........................... $303.50
Multiple Transaction Filings (for each transaction) ....... $303.50
Termination Filings ............ $303.50
Each Additional Page ...........$1.00
Exceptions to First Page Normal Fee:
Employment Security Liens & Releases ...$15.00
Federal Liens and Releases ............ $16.00
Assignment of Deed of Trust ...... $18.00
Resignation & Appointment of Successor Trustee ....... $18.00
Appointment of Trustee and Substitution of Trustee ....... $18.00
Wage Liens & Releases .............. $18.00
Water-Sewer District Liens & Releases ...... $18.00
State, County & City Liens & Releases ... $18.00
Each Additional Page to any of these documents .... $1.00
Copy Requests and Miscellaneous Fees:
Certified Copy 1st Page .............. $3.00
Regular Copy 1st Page ................ $1.00
Each Additional Page ................. $1.00
Map Copy 1st Page ..................... $5.00
Each Additional Page .................. $3.00
Search of Records (Per Hour -- 1 hour minimum) .... $8.00
Administering Oath .......... $2.00
Taking Affidavit (With or without Seal) ...$2.00
Non-Standard Document has an additional fee to normal recording fees ............. $ 50.00. A signed Cover Sheet is required
Fees are subject to change without notice.
Document Formatting Requirements
* Photocopies will not be accepted. Original documents should be submitted for recording. Use paper that is of a weight and color capable of producing a legible image. Paper should not be larger than 8.5 x 14 inches and text should not be smaller than 8 point font.
* Every deed should be in writing, signed by the parties bound by it, and acknowledged by the person executing it. The names appearing on all documents proved or acknowledged according to law, should be hand printed, printed, or typewritten so as to be legible. The county auditor will index documents in accordance with the hand printed, printed, or typed names appearing on the document.
* Any deed, contract, or mortgage of real estate described by lot and block and addition or plat, will not be filed or recorded until the plat of such addition has been filed for record.
* When submitting an instrument for recordation, provide a top margin of at least 3 inches on the first page. Bottom and side margins should be at least 1 inch.
* On the left side of the first-page top margin, provide the name and address to whom the instrument will be returned.
* At the top of the first page, below the 3-inch top margin, an instrument title should be given. The auditor or recording officer is required only to index the title (or titles) captioned on the document.
* If applicable, provide reference numbers of documents assigned or released with reference to the document page number where additional references can be found.
* The names of the grantor(s) and grantee(s) should be given on the first page. If additional names appear in the document, provide the document page number where the additional names can be found.
* An abbreviated legal description of the real property should be listed on the first page. For this purpose, "abbreviated" means lot, block, plat, or section, township, range, and quarter/quarter section. Also, provide a reference to the document page number where the full legal description is located.
* The assessor's property tax parcel number or account number should be set forth separately from the legal description or other text.
*The information provided on the first page must be in substantially the following order:
This space provided for recorder's use
When recorded, return to:_______________
Document Title(s)
Grantor(s)
Grantee(s)
Legal description
Assessor's property tax parcel or account number
Reference numbers of documents assigned or released
If a document does not contain the required information, the person preparing the instrument should provide a cover sheet that contains the required information and the required margins. The cover sheet should be attached to the instrument and recorded as part of it. An additional page fee will apply to the cover sheet. The cover sheet information will be used to generate the grantor/grantee index; however, the names and legal description in the instrument itself will be used to determine the chain of title.
The auditor or recording officer will rely on the information in the cover sheet and will not read the document to verify the accuracy or completeness of the indexing information provided herein.
If a document does not meet margin and font requirements but needs to be recorded immediately, it can be recorded for an additional fee of $50, plus regular recording fees. Documents not meeting legibility requirements must be recorded as nonstandard. A person preparing a document that does not meet requirements must sign a statement that is to be attached to the document. The statement should read substantially as follows: "I am requesting an emergency non-standard recording for an additional fee as provided in RCW 36.18.010. I understand that the recording processing requirements may cover up or otherwise obscure some part of the text of the original document."