Register of Deeds
WHAT WE DO - CLICK HERE: http://wrdaonline.org/video
MISSION STATEMENT
- To provide the official county repository for:
- Real estate records (deeds, land contracts, mortgages, etc)
- Vital records (birth, death, marriage, divorce, and military discharges)
- To provide safe archival storage and convenient access to these public records.
- To implement statutory changes, system modernization, program and procedure evaluation and staff development to assure a high level of timely customer service for our citizens.
AVAILABLE RECORDS
Land Records are available back to 1847. Vital records are available as follows: marriage certificates back to 1847 and birth & death certificates back to 1870.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE REGISTER OF DEEDS
Ownership of rights in and claims on property constitute one of the chief forms of wealth in American society. Accurate descriptions of property help society avoid wasteful battles over boundaries and rights. Records of the existence and exact nature of those rights are keys to orderly economic activity relating to that property and this information is recorded with the Register of Deeds office.
Recorded documents are valuable tools used by many entities. Local government property tax base is defined from records of the ROD. The business community and consumers are served through Uniform Commercial Code filings. Business loans are made simpler, more secure, less expensive, and more widely available to the mutual benefit of those involved in the use of credit involving personal property, crops, and/or fixtures.
The responsibilities of the office are set forth in the Wisconsin Statutes. The Register of Deeds serves a statewide purpose, although elected at the county level. The general nature of the office of the Register of Deeds is described as ministerial. The ROD has no discretion about whether or not to perform tasks required by the Wisconsin Statutes. However, the ROD must read the law and judge whether the law requires the ROD to perform a duty. In other words, the ROD must not assume that every document presented at the office must be recorded or filed. The Register of Deeds must, from time to time, exercise judgment and decide whether statutory conditions are met before accepting a document.
