Search Troy Property Records
Troy property records are recorded with the Oakland County Register of Deeds in Pontiac. As one of Michigan's most prosperous cities, Troy has a large and active real estate market, and the county office holds deed, mortgage, and lien records going back many decades. You can search online using the Oakland County Property Gateway or the county's dedicated land records system, or visit the Register of Deeds office in person. This page explains how to find what you need and what each system offers.
Troy Property Records Overview
Oakland County Register of Deeds
The Oakland County Register of Deeds holds all recorded land documents for the City of Troy. The office accepts deeds, mortgages, liens, easements, and other instruments that affect title to real property under Oakland County jurisdiction. Michigan law under MCL 565.29 makes this a race-notice state, so recording promptly after closing matters. A buyer who records first and had no actual notice of a prior claim wins the ownership dispute.
The recording fee is $30 per document regardless of length, set by MCL 600.2567. Copies cost $1 per page and certified copies are $5 each. The office indexes all documents by grantor and grantee name under MCL 565.29.
| Office | Oakland County Register of Deeds |
|---|---|
| Address | 1200 N. Telegraph Rd., Building 12 East, Pontiac, MI 48341 |
| Phone | (248) 858-0561 |
| Gateway | oakgov.com |
| Land Records | ocmideeds.com |
Online Access to Troy Land Records
Oakland County offers two main systems for searching property records online. The Oakland County Property Gateway at oakgov.com is the free public option. It lets you search by owner name, address, or parcel ID and returns tax and assessment data alongside some deed information. No account is needed for basic searches.
For full document access, the county's dedicated land records system at ocmideeds.com requires an account. Once logged in, you can view images of recorded documents, download copies at $1 per page, and order certified copies for $5 each. This system is the one to use when you need the actual deed language, legal description, or mortgage terms. Title companies and real estate attorneys use it heavily.
Oakland County also maintains an interactive GIS viewer that shows property boundaries, aerial photography, and parcel data on a map. This can help you identify adjacent parcels, confirm lot dimensions, or find a property when you only know the address. The GIS viewer is free and does not require an account.
City of Troy Assessing Department
The City of Troy maintains its own assessing department, which handles property valuation and tax records at the local level. While the Register of Deeds holds deed records, the Troy assessor keeps the official tax roll and processes exemption applications.
The City of Troy website provides access to assessing records, principal residence exemption forms, and appeal information. If you want to check your property's assessed value or see when the taxable value last uncapped, the city assessor is the right contact. The assessor's data and the Register of Deeds records together give you a complete picture of any parcel in Troy.
Michigan assesses property at 50% of true cash value. Under Proposal A, the taxable value can only rise by the rate of inflation or 5% per year until the property is sold. In a city like Troy, where values have risen sharply over the years, the gap between assessed value and taxable value can be substantial for long-term owners.
The City of Troy website is the primary resource for local assessing and municipal property information.
The city site links to assessing records, zoning information, and permit history for properties within Troy's boundaries.
Transfer Taxes and Recording Costs
Every real estate sale in Troy triggers both a county and a state transfer tax. The county rate is $1.10 per $1,000 of sale price. The state rate is $7.50 per $1,000. On a $400,000 Troy home, you'd pay roughly $3,440 in combined transfer taxes. The seller usually covers this cost, but it's worth confirming in your purchase agreement.
Documents submitted for recording must meet the formatting standards set by the Register of Deeds. The flat $30 recording fee applies to each document. If a transaction involves a deed plus a mortgage, that's two separate recording fees. Michigan's flat-fee structure, established by MCL 600.2567, is more straightforward than states that charge per page.
Title Searches and the Marketable Record Title Act
Buying property in Troy typically involves a title search going back 40 years. Michigan's Marketable Record Title Act clears most defects in a chain of title that is unbroken for 40 years. This gives buyers and title insurers a workable standard. A title company searches the grantor-grantee index at the Register of Deeds, traces the chain of ownership, and identifies any open mortgages, judgments, or easements.
offer starting points for public record lookups. These are not substitutes for a professional title search but can give you a quick overview before you commit to a purchase. The Michigan Compiled Laws database has the full text of recording statutes if you want to understand the legal framework.
Nearby Cities
Several other large Oakland County cities use the same Register of Deeds office for property recording. Records for any of these cities can be searched through the same online systems.
Oakland County Property Records
Troy is part of Oakland County, and the county Register of Deeds is the official custodian of all land records for the city. The county page covers recording procedures, online access details, and fee information that applies to Troy and every other community in Oakland County.