Office of the Recorder of Deeds
The Office of Recorder of Deeds was established by the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 under which the Recorder was to be appointed by the General Assembly. Upon the establishment of Montgomery County in 1784, the first Recorder, Frederick Augustus Muhlenberg, was appointed. It was not until the Constitution of 1838 when the Recorder of Deeds was made an elected position, and under current law the Recorder serves a term of four years.
Duties
The Recorder of Deeds is responsible for maintaining the integrity of all land records and documents recorded at the office, and collecting and distributing county and state fees and real estate transfer taxes for the state, townships, boroughs, and school districts of Montgomery County. In addition, the Recorder of Deeds is also responsible for administering oaths and recording the commissions of notaries public. The Recorder of Deeds is the custodian of all records and indexes relating to land transactions, and is required to archive all documents relating to land transactions in Montgomery County. The office also acts as the repository for bonds and commissions of county elected officials, common pleas judges and magisterial district judges; military discharge papers (DD214s) of all eligible service and reserve members; subdivision, state highway, and railroad plans; powers of attorney; and other miscellaneous documents.
Staff
The office staff of recorders, indexers, and scanners, processes over 100,000 documents a year and strives to provide excellent customer service to the public.