Search Maries County Property Records

Maries County property records are kept at the Circuit Clerk and Recorder's office in Vienna, Missouri. This office files deeds, deeds of trust, plats, liens, and other land documents for all real estate in the county. You can search Maries County property records through the iCounty online portal or visit the office in person on 4th Street. A courthouse fire in 1868 destroyed many early records, but land records from 1855 and marriage records from 1869 did survive. The current system holds both the older index books and the digital files that cover more recent filings.

Maries County Recorder of Deeds Office

Mark Buschmann serves as both the Circuit Clerk and Recorder for Maries County. This is common in smaller Missouri counties where one office handles both court filings and land records. The office is at 211 4th Street in Vienna. Staff can help you search for deeds, file new documents, and get copies of anything on record. They close at 4:00 PM each day, so plan your visit with that in mind.

You can reach the Maries County Recorder by phone at (573) 422-3338 or by fax at (573) 422-3976. For questions sent by email, contact mark.buschmann@courts.mo.gov. The staff can tell you if a specific document is on file and what it will cost to get a copy. Walk-in visits work fine during business hours, though calling ahead is a good idea if you need something pulled from the older records.

Search Maries County Property Records Online

Maries County offers online access to property records through the iCounty portal. This system lets you search the index of recorded documents from your computer. You can look up deeds, trust deeds, liens, and other filings by name or document type. The portal is available at any time, which is helpful if you cannot make it to Vienna during office hours.

For broader research into Maries County land, the Missouri Digital Heritage land database has over 280,000 entries of historical land patents going back to 1777. This can help trace a parcel in Maries County to its original patent. The Bureau of Land Management also keeps federal patent records for Missouri lands.

Maries County Historical Property Records

A courthouse fire on November 6, 1868, destroyed most of the early records in Maries County. Land records from 1855 survived the fire, and marriage records go back to 1869. This means the county still has a solid base of historical property records, though some gaps exist from before the fire. If you are doing research on early land ownership in Maries County, the surviving deed books are the best place to start.

The Missouri State Archives holds additional land records that may fill in some of the gaps. Their collection covers French and Spanish land grants from before Missouri became a state, plus federal land sales from 1818 to 1903. You can search by name or county to find entries tied to Maries County. The FamilySearch Missouri Land and Property guide is another good resource for tracing old Maries County land back through the years.

Note: Records filed before the 1868 fire may be incomplete or missing entirely from the Maries County office.

Maries County Recording Fees

Maries County follows the state fee schedule for recording property documents. The first page costs $24. Each page after that is $3. A $25 penalty applies to documents that do not meet format standards under Section 59.313 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. Pages must be 8.5 by 11 inches with at least a 3 inch top margin and 8 point type.

Copies of recorded documents cost $1 per page at the Maries County office. Certified copies carry a small extra fee. Call the office at (573) 422-3338 to confirm current fees and accepted payment methods before your visit.

Property Records Filed in Maries County

The Maries County Recorder files several types of property documents. Warranty deeds transfer ownership with a clear title guarantee. Quitclaim deeds also transfer interest but with no such promise. Deeds of trust secure a loan against the property, and release deeds clear that lien once the loan is paid off. Under Section 442.380, every document that affects real estate must be recorded in the county where the property is located.

Beyond deeds, the office handles plats, surveys, easements, restrictive covenants, and liens. Tax liens from unpaid taxes and mechanic's liens from unpaid contractor work are both filed here. Beneficiary deeds let a Maries County property owner name a person to receive the land after death, skipping probate under RSMo 461.025.

Maries County property owners should check the recorder's index now and then for any filings they did not authorize. Deed fraud can happen in rural counties too. A forged deed or a fake lien filed against your name can cause real problems if you do not catch it fast. The iCounty portal makes it simple to search for recent filings tied to your name from home.

Maries County Property Tax Records

Property taxes in Maries County are assessed on odd-numbered years by the county assessor. Missouri sets the assessment rate at 19% for residential, 12% for agricultural, and 32% for commercial property. Tax bills go out by November 1 and are due December 31. Unpaid taxes result in a lien on the property. The Missouri Department of Revenue has details on credits and exemptions that may apply to Maries County property owners.

Nearby Counties

These counties border Maries County in Missouri. Property records must be filed in the county where the land is located.