Frequently Asked Questions
Davidson County Register of Deeds
501 Broadway
Nashville, TN 37203
(615) 862-6790
(Directions) (Mapquest
Map)
Question: Can the Register of Deeds prepare or help prepare a deed?
Answer: No. A deed is a legal document establishing property
ownership, please consult an attorney
Question: Does your office furnish me with the title to my
home after I have paid off the mortgage?
Answer: The document that shows you own your property is called
a deed. Your deed was recorded in our office when you originally purchased
the property. We do not keep the original deed in our possession until
you pay off the mortgage. The original document was given or mailed back
to whoever delivered it to us when it was recorded. You may obtain a copy
of the deed from our office at any time.
Question: Where can I find someone to provide
me with a title search on my property?
Answer: There are several Title Companies listed in the local
Yellow Pages that specialize in real estate transactions. Many of these
companies have offices in several cities, so even if you don’t live
in Nashville, they can, in many cases, provide you with title searches
for a fee. Many attorneys also offer this service.
Question: Will your office record a copy of a document if I
don’t have an original?
Answer: The only type of copy that can be recorded in our office
is a Certified Copy of a document that has been recorded in another government
office. Otherwise, we must have original, signed, notarized documents in
order to record them in our office.
Question:Where are Notary Seals placed on documents?
Answer:The signature on all documents must be notarized. If
the document requires an "oath
of consideration", then the oath must also be notarized.
Question:Is the name of the person who prepared the document
required for recording purposes?
Answer:Yes
Question: Can you tell me if
there are any liens/mortgages/encumbrances on a piece of property?
Answer: This is one service that is not provided by our office.
To determine the requested information, you must perform a title search,
which is usually done by an attorney or title company. Our indexes are
on computer, and they are open to the public if you would like to search
the records.
Question: Who owns a certain property?
Answer: We can check the tax rolls to see who owns a property,
and if you think it has sold recently, we will check our grantors indexes
to see if it has changed hands. You can also check ownership online.
This is a free website administrated by the planning commission.
Question: Can you tell me the recording information on a
document such as a warranty deed, deed of trust, or other such instrument?
Answer: We can tell you when a document was recorded and the
reference number that we use to identify the document.
Question: Would you please check to see if a deed of trust
has been released?
Answer: We will try to determine whether or not a deed of trust
(mortgage) has been released if you can tell us the reference number, borrower’s
name, amount, and when it was originally recorded in our office.
Question: Can you tell me the map and parcel of a
property?
Answer: We will gladly look up that information, but you can
also go online and
obtain that, as well as other information about a property.
Question: What was the selling price for a property?
Answer: If the property was sold by virtue of a warranty deed,
we can, in most cases, look at that document and tell you the consideration
amount, which is the same thing as the sales price. Sometimes property
is conveyed with a quitclaim deed, and those documents do not normally
show a consideration amount for the transfer.
Question: Will you fax a copy of a deed or other recorded document
to me?
Answer: If you or your company has previously set up an escrow
account with our office, we will fax copies at a charge of $1.00 per page.
To set up an escrow account, just call the office, and we will send you
an application.
Question: Can I go online and access the information in your office from
my computer?
Answer: We do provide internet access to the indexes and images in our
office for a fee. You may call our office or check this web site for more
information on getting that set up.
Question: What is the charge to obtain a copy of a
document from this office?
Answer: If you come into the office, copies are 50 cents per page, certified
copies are $1.00 per page, and plats are $3.00 per page. Our web site will
tell you the other ways you can obtain copies as well as the charges.
Question: Where are you located?
Answer: We are located in Suite 501 of the building
at 501 Broadway, between 5th and 6th streets. Complete directions are furnished at the top of this website.
Question:For recording purposes, what documents require the statement "Maximum
Principal Indebtness For Tennessee Recording Tax Purposes Is $________"?
Answer: This statement is required on documents securing a debt.
Question: What are our hours of operation?
Answer: Our office is open from 8:00am-4:30pm Monday-Friday.
Question: For recording purposes, what documents require the Oath
of Consideration Statement
Answer: This statement is required on any deeds transferring real
estate.
Question: Can you tell me where my property lines are located?
Answer: We have documents in our office such as subdivision
plats or deeds that tell you the dimensions of your property. They have
information on them such as the metes and bounds of your lot lines. However,
the only way to tell exactly where your lot lines are located is to hire
a surveyor to come to your location and stake off your property. Metro
Nashville Government does not have any department with surveyors. You will
need to hire a private surveying company to do this for you.
We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided by
this office.