Daviess County, IN Property Records: Search Deeds, Owners, Tax Records, and Maps

Daviess County is located in southwestern Indiana. Agriculture, coal mining, and commerce drive the county’s real estate market. The county has over 22,700 parcels of land, with records maintained by the Recorder, Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer.

It takes about 23 days for a listed property to receive a buyer offer. This is faster than the Indiana average. These properties consist of different housing types, including single-family homes, mobile homes, townhouses, and multi-family apartment complexes. Most of the housing inventory is in Washington, Odon, Montgomery, Elnora, and Plainville.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $174,900 and median rent of $747, alongside a median household income of $69,143.5 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.71 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Daviess County Property Records

You can search Daviess County property records through the county offices or dedicated online portals. The table below shows the offices, the type of records they maintain, and their online portals that you can use to access property records in the county:

Who Keeps Daviess County Property Records?

The following offices keep and handle Daviess County property records:

• The Daviess County Recorder’s Office records instruments submitted by individuals for recording and maintains them in perpetuity. The office also processes and stores a range of documents related to real estate. These documents include mortgages, deeds, easements, plats, and liens.

• The Daviess County Assessor’s Office accurately and uniformly determines the market value in use of every real estate property within the county.

• The Daviess County Auditor’s Office prepares tax duplicates that show the value of property and taxes assessed against each taxpayer.

• The Daviess County Treasurer’s Office bills and collects property taxes from taxpayers. This office also conducts annual real estate tax sales.

How to Search Daviess County Property Records Online

Search Daviess County property records online by taking the following steps:

1. Identify the parcel by looking it up through the county Engage Portal. You can search with the owner's name, property number, or an address.
2. After you locate the parcel, select it to view its record. The record will show the parcel summary, sketches, sales list, valuation list, sale disclosure form, taxes, and land information.
3. Through the Recorder's Doxpop Search Portal, you can search by party name or legal description to view deeds and other recorded land instruments. This allows you to check for any encumbrances and trace the ownership backward.
4. You can then visit the Treasurer’s Office to check for outstanding balances or delinquent tax forfeitures. You can also use the LowTaxInfo Property Search to check whether the property taxes are fully paid.
5. Finally, you can download uncertified copies of deeds through the Doxpop Search Portal. If you need certified copies, you can visit the recorder’s office in Washington to request them. Fees apply.

Recorder: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

The Daviess County Recorder’s Office preserves all legal documents affecting title to real property. These records are the legal basis for determining ownership. Documents recorded with this office include mortgages, contracts, covenants, deeds, disclosures, military discharges, easements, liens, and plats. When recording with this office, ensure your documents meet all necessary requirements.

Assessor and Auditor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor’s Office calculates the gross assessed value of real estate and business personal property in the county. This office also handles annual property valuation and manages appeals filed by taxpayers. The Daviess County Auditor’s Office processes and applies tax deductions and calculates tax bills.

Treasurer: Tax Bills and Payments

The Treasurer’s Office handles local real estate, mobile homes, and personal property taxes. This office collects delinquent taxes, organizes tax sale auctions, and prepares tax statements. Daviess County property taxes are due in May and November.

Property Tax in Daviess County: Caps, Deductions, and Appeals

Daviess County property tax is calculated by subtracting eligible deductions from gross value to get the net assessed value, then multiplying it by the local district’s tax rate.

Circuit-breaker caps

Circuit-breaker cap limits the amount of property tax an individual can be forced to pay. Under the Indiana Constitution, the cap places a strict ceiling on your tax liability based on a fixed percentage of your property’s gross assessed value. The cap is set at 1% for homestead property, 2% for residential property and long-term care property, and 3% for personal property and non-residential property.

Deductions and relief

Appealing your value

If a property owner is dissatisfied with their assessment, they can appeal within 45 days of the notice date. They must file Form 130 with the Assessor. The assessor will review the appeal filed and render its decision.

If the Assessors make no changes, the appeal may be forwarded to the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA). A hearing is scheduled, and the PTABOA will render its decision. The matter may be taken to the Indiana Board of Tax Review (IBTR) for further review if needed.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Use the Engage Map Viewer to access digital plat maps, property lines, zoning boundaries, and soil maps in Daviess County. Search by owner name, address, or property number. You can also use the statewide IndianaMap Viewer to view property information across all counties.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Foreclosure and tax sales are two different processes used in Daviess County:

Mortgage Foreclosure

If you purchase a home with a loan and repeatedly default, the lender can take legal action to seize your property. The lender must first file a lawsuit against you, and the court will render a decision before the auction. The property is then sold at a public auction at a sheriff’s sale. After the sale, the proceeds will be used to settle the debt.

Tax Sale

When property owners fail to pay their property taxes after three installments, the property becomes eligible for the tax sale list. As required by state law, the county’s treasurer must notify the owner and publish a public notice in a local newspaper. This notice gives the owner a chance to pay their back taxes and penalties to remove the property from the auction block.

If the owner does not make the payments before the auction, the property will be put up for public auction and sold to the highest bidder. The investor will receive a tax sale certificate. However, after the auction, the owner gets up to a year to redeem their property by paying the county all the back taxes and an interest penalty. If the redemption period elapses, the purchaser can petition the Daviess County Court for a tax deed.

Costs to Access Property Records

The table below shows the fees for recording a document and obtaining a copy of Daviess County property records:

How to Record a Document

The procedures below are necessary to record a document in Daviess County:

1. Follow Indiana recording requirements to prepare a document. If you want to record a document that changes ownership, you must include a Sales Disclosure Form stamped by the auditor.
2. Typical recording fees are $25 for a deed and $55 for a mortgage. If the document is above 8.5 by 14 inches, you will be charged an extra $5 per oversized page.
3. Submit the document to the Daviess County Recorder's Office in person, by mail, or through an approved e-recording vendor.
4. Once accepted, the Recorder assigns an instrument number to the document and indexes it in the county records. The original document will be mailed back to you.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Daviess County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals