Farmington Hills Property Records Lookup
Farmington Hills property records are maintained by the Oakland County Register of Deeds in Pontiac. The city is one of Oakland County's largest and has a well-established residential real estate market. Deeds, mortgages, easements, and liens for every parcel in Farmington Hills are indexed at the county level. You can search records online through the Oakland County Property Gateway or the dedicated land records portal, or visit the Register of Deeds office directly.
Farmington Hills Property Records Overview
Oakland County Register of Deeds
Farmington Hills is part of Oakland County, so all recorded property documents go to the Oakland County Register of Deeds in Pontiac. This office is the official repository for deeds, mortgages, discharges, land contracts, liens, easements, and plats affecting real estate in the city. The Register indexes documents by grantor and grantee name under the requirements of MCL 565.29.
Michigan's race-notice recording system means the first party to record a valid instrument wins priority over unrecorded prior claims. Recording right after closing protects your ownership interest. The standard fee under MCL 600.2567 is $30 per document, regardless of length. Copies are $1 per page and certified copies are $5.
| Office | Oakland County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Building 12 East, Pontiac, MI 48341 |
| Phone | (248) 858-0561 |
| Property Gateway | oakgov.com |
| Land Records | ocmideeds.com |
How to Search Online
Oakland County provides two separate online portals for property research. The first is the Oakland County Property Gateway at oakgov.com, which is free and available without an account. It returns basic parcel information, tax and assessment data, and some deed index entries when you search by owner name, address, or parcel ID. This is a good starting point when you need a quick overview.
For actual document images, you'll need the land records system at ocmideeds.com. An account is required. Once you're in, you can download document images at $1 per page and order certified copies for $5 each. Title companies and attorneys rely on this system for formal title work. Oakland County also maintains an interactive GIS map with parcel boundaries and aerial imagery.
Oakland County has offered on-road Register of Deeds services at locations including the Farmington Community Library. These outreach sessions let residents access county land records without traveling to Pontiac. Check the county's calendar for upcoming dates at local libraries in the Farmington Hills area.
City of Farmington Hills Assessing
The City of Farmington Hills runs its own assessing department, separate from the county Register of Deeds. Where the Register holds recorded documents like deeds and mortgages, the city assessor maintains the property tax roll and handles exemption applications. If you want to check your assessed value, appeal your assessment, or apply for the Principal Residence Exemption, start with the city assessor's office. The City of Farmington Hills website links to assessing resources and city services.
Michigan assessors value property at 50% of true cash value. Proposal A caps how fast the taxable value can rise each year. The cap resets when the property sells, which often results in a higher tax bill for new buyers in established neighborhoods like those in Farmington Hills.
Types of Documents Recorded
Every instrument that affects title to real property in Farmington Hills must be recorded with Oakland County to provide constructive notice to third parties. Under MCL 565.201, the Register of Deeds accepts warranty deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, mortgage discharges, land contracts, easements, declarations of restrictions, and subdivision plats.
Each recorded document receives a liber and page number in the official index. That reference number becomes the permanent identifier for the document in the county's records. When you search by name, the index returns a list of documents where that person or entity appears as grantor or grantee, along with the recording date and liber/page reference.
Transfer Taxes and Property Assessment
Real estate sales in Farmington Hills are subject to the Michigan county transfer tax of $1.10 per $1,000 of value and the state transfer tax of $7.50 per $1,000. The combined rate comes to $8.60 per $1,000. On a $350,000 home, that's about $3,010 in transfer taxes, typically paid by the seller.
The Michigan Department of Treasury oversees statewide property tax administration, including the State Tax Commission that sets assessment rules. The Treasury site provides guidance on property tax credits, exemptions, and the Homestead Property Tax Credit that may reduce your bill if Farmington Hills is your primary residence.
Michigan's Marketable Record Title Act protects buyers by extinguishing most defects in a title chain that goes back 40 uninterrupted years. A title search at the Oakland County Register of Deeds will typically cover this full period.
State Records and Research Tools
The Michigan LARA agency handles licensing for real estate agents, title professionals, and appraisers working in Farmington Hills and across the state. If you want to verify a licensee's status or file a complaint, LARA is the right agency.
LARA also maintains the Michigan business entity database, which can be useful when a property is owned by an LLC or other business entity and you need to identify the responsible parties.
This tool can help you find the right county system when you're not sure where to look, or when you need a quick check before running a formal search.
Nearby Cities
Farmington Hills is surrounded by other large Oakland County cities that file property records with the same Register of Deeds office in Pontiac.
Oakland County Property Records
Farmington Hills is part of Oakland County. The county Register of Deeds holds all official land records for the city and provides the online portals described on this page. The county page has additional details on recording procedures and search options for all Oakland County communities.