Must a deed be recorded? What governmental agency handles recording of deeds?
A. To be legally valid, the deed is not required to be recorded although it is very risky not to do so. If the deed is not recorded, the Grantee’s name (and rights) appear nowhere in the chain of title found in the public records of the county. Other parties may take actions or fail to take actions that could affect the property without a knowledge of your ownership rights. For example, the grantor may have a lien filed against all of his or her property after you receive your deed but because you have not recorded it a question arises as to whether the lien has attached to your property or not. An unscrupulous grantor may even give another deed to the same property to someone else who has no knowledge of your claim to the property. To protect the rights of the Grantee, it is advisable to properly record the deed. In Florida, the deed must be recorded in the county in which the property is located. The agency that handles the recording is the Clerk of the Circuit Court. The Clerk’s off
