§5.7 - Recording

• Jurisdiction: Washington

§5.7 RECORDING

Deeds, mortgages, and other documents are recorded in the county recorder's office and indexed in the official public records. Ch. 65.04 RCW. The recording officer (referred to in this section as the recorder) is the county auditor, or in charter counties, the county official charged with recording instruments in the public records. RCW 65.04.015. When an instrument is received for recording, the recorder must endorse it as to the exact date and time it was received and note on the instrument the name of the person at whose request it was recorded. The recorder is not required to accept any instrument unless the name and nature of the instrument appear on its face. RCW 64.04.080. Neither is the recorder required to accept any instrument unless it is acknowledged. RCW 65.04.030(1).

(1) General index

The recorder is required to keep a general index, which consists of a direct index (sorted by grantor) and an inverted index (sorted by grantee). The index may be printed on paper, re-produced on microfilm, or created from a computerized data base. The direct (grantor) index and the inverted (grantee) index are each divided into eight columns, Headed by time of receipt, name of grantor, name of grantee, nature of instrument, recording number, remarks, description of property, and assessor's tax parcel number. In the direct index, the...