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

Dubois County has small-town charm and civic pride. It includes over 34,000 parcels of land. The county generates property documents that are largely managed by the Recorder, Assessor, Auditor, and Treasurer Offices.

You will mostly find single-family homes in Dubois County, as the local real estate market is heavily skewed toward these structures. They are commonly found in the Town of Jasper, the county seat and largest population center. Homes stay on the market for about 13 days, similar to the statewide average of 14 days. Agriculture and manufacturing drive the county’s local property market.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $185,900 and median rent of $672, alongside a median household income of $74,408 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.65 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Dubois County Property Records

Dubois County allows individuals to access property records in several ways, including online databases, in-person visits, and formal requests. Individuals can view ownership, parcel details, and assessed value through the property search portal. They can find recorded deeds, mortgages, and plats through the Laredo or Tapestry platform. Property Tax Information, which includes tax bills, account balance, and payment history, is accessible to the public through the Tax Statement.

Who Keeps Dubois County Property Records

Several offices interact together to create and manage property records in Dubois County. Under Indiana’s Access to Public Records Act, interested individuals can contact the custodians to inspect or request copies of records. They can check official online databases or visit the following offices:

• The Dubois County Recorder's Office handles every record that relates to land title in the county. It creates, indexes, and preserves deeds, mortgages, liens, plats, military discharges, affidavits, bonds, and Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) filings for the public. During business hours, individuals can search for copies of these documents from the Recorder’s Office for free. However, staff members may not give legal advice.

• The Dubois County Assessor's Office performs a countywide equalization of all taxable parcels. It certifies gross assessments to the Auditor, identifies omitted property, and selects and maintains the county's assessment records. Individuals can submit their completed notice of assessment registration form, required by law, to this office. This notice is required for construction or major remodeling of a building or property.

• The Dubois County Auditor's Office prepares the annual financial report, calculates the property tax duplicates, and complies with all federal tax guidelines. It provides the public with notices of county meetings, official budget rates, ordinances, and resolutions. The office works with the Treasurer to provide checks and balances over the county's finances. It also maintains tax sale records, commissioner sale records, mapping system, and property tax deduction filings.

• The Dubois County Treasurer's Office is the custodian of all county funds. The Treasurer receives bankruptcy claims and maintains a daily ledger and monthly financial statement. It issues property tax statements, maintains account balances, and invests available county funds.

How to Search Dubois County Property Records Online

The following steps will guide you in locating a Dubois County property record online.

1. Visit the Property Search and search the portal by address, parcel number, or owner name. You can find the owner and general parcel information as well as payment history, deductions, and assessments on the portal. Select the property card to view complete information about the property.
2. Use the owner’s name or parcel number, obtained above, to search the Laredo or Tapestry portal. In Dubois County, land records are indexed by grantor and grantee names, allowing you to trace the chain of title for the required property.
3. Once you obtain the ownership information from the most recent recorded deed on the Laredo or Tapestry platform, review the deed details. Ensure that the grantor matches the grantee named on the previous deed. If you find any gap in the chain of title, conduct a title search or contact an insurance company.
4. Search the Recorder’s online database for mortgages, liens, judgments, and easements recorded against the property. You can find the sales disclosure form, which reveals the sale price of the property.
5. For the current balance, payment history, and delinquency status, check the Tax List.

Recorder: Deeds, Deeds of Trust, and Plats

When you need to record a new land document or make changes to an existing one, contact the Dubois County Recorder’s Office. The office handles deeds, plats, liens, and other related documents. It also provides standard and certified copies of these documents upon request for a nominal fee.

Assessor and Auditor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor's Office appraises all taxable property in Dubois County. The Auditor then administers deductions and calculates the final tax bill. Together, these offices ensure that the land documents to be submitted for recording are validated, verified, and endorsed properly.

Treasurer: Tax Bills and Payments

The Dubois County Treasurer’s Office mails tax bills or statements to property owners and collects property taxes. The office accepts payment by mail, by phone, in the dropbox, or in person.

Property Tax in Dubois County: Rates, Deductions, and Appeals

First, the Assessor’s Office determines the gross assessed value of a parcel. Then the Auditor subtracts qualifying deductions to calculate the net assessed value. This net assessed value is multiplied by the current local tax rate to determine the taxable amount, which is subject to the circuit-breaker cap.

Circuit-breaker caps

The circuit-breaker cap sets a limit for property tax. It does not allow your property tax bills to exceed 1% of the gross assessed value of your home and 2% for other residential and agricultural land. It gives a limit of 3% to other commercial property. With the circuit-breaker cap in place, you do not pay more than a specific percent of your property's gross assessed value in taxes.

If your calculated bill exceeds this amount, the Auditor applies the cap to reduce your tax bill, but the cap does not change the local tax rate.

Deductions and relief

Appealing your value

If you are dissatisfied with your property’s value, submit a completed taxpayer’s notice to initiate an appeal form to the Assessor’s Office. Request an informal review with the office to verify your claims. If the matter is not resolved, file an appeal with the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals. If you are not satisfied, escalate to the Indiana Board of Tax Review.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Dubois County hosts its Geographic Information System (GIS) and parcel details on the ThinkGIS platform. With this platform, you can view the property card, owner name, legal description, acreage, sketches, images, and assessment history. You can also use the statewide parcel viewer to view the county’s parcels.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

In Dubois County, creditors can recover payments or taxes from debtors through two legal methods, namely mortgage foreclosure and tax sale.

Mortgage foreclosure

A missed mortgage payment can lead to foreclosure. First, the lender must file a civil suit in court and obtain a judgment against the property. The County Sheriff helps the lender sell the property at a public auction to recover the debt. However, before the sale is finalized, you are entitled to a settlement conference under IC 32-30-10.5.

Tax sale

If you do not pay your delinquent taxes after spring of the prior year, the county can schedule your property for tax sale under IC 6-1.1-24. The Auditor's office sends a certified letter to notify you that your property is listed for the Tax Sale. The office adds a $130 tax sale charge and publishes your name in the local newspaper if you do not pay by a specified date.

You can still pay the delinquent amount up to the tax sale date. Dubois County usually holds this event in September or October, either online or live at the courthouse. The Auditor will then issue a tax sale certificate to the highest bidder. You can redeem the tax certificate within one year by paying all delinquent taxes, interest, penalties, and legal costs. Otherwise, the highest bidder can petition the court to obtain a tax deed.

Costs to Access Property Records

If you want to record a land document or obtain copies of property records in Dubois County, you must pay specific fees to the appropriate office.

How to Record a Document

Follow this step-by-step guide to record a land document in Dubois County:

1. Ensure your land document meets Indiana formatting rules. It must include a legal description, 2-inch margins on the top and bottom of the first page and ½-inch margins on interior pages, notarization, and affirmation language.
2. Take the prepared documents, along with a completed sales disclosure form, to the Assessor's Office for review. Then proceed to the Auditor's Office for endorsement and pay all required fees.
3. Submit the endorsed document to the Dubois County Recorder's Office in person, by mail, or through an approved e-recording vendor(CSC, Simplifile, ePN, or Indecomm). Beware that e-recording ends at 3:30 p.m. Any land document submitted by e-recording on or after 3:00 p.m. may be processed on the next business day.
4. Once accepted, the Recorder assigns an instrument number to the document and posts the document’s image to the public index.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Dubois County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals