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

Franklin County is located in eastern Indiana. Over 17,000 parcels span 391 square miles of land. The Assessor, Auditor, Recorder, and Treasurer offices oversee Franklin County property records. These offices are located in Brookville, the county seat. The real estate market is largely driven by agriculture, healthcare, and manufacturing.

Properties for sale in Franklin County can take about 45 days to close, similar to the statewide average. However, this can vary by location and property type. Residential units are mostly single-family homes and mobile homes, and most are in Brookville and Batesville.

Recent housing records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market. The area features a median home value of $204,200 and a median rent of $729. Also, the median household income stands at $61,210, and the median real estate tax is 0.66, expressed as a percentage of the property’s assessed value.

How to Look Up Franklin County Property Records

In Franklin County, the assessor, auditor, recorder, and treasurer provide online tools anyone can use to look up property records. The assessor and auditor use WthGIS to provide access to maps, ownership information, and assessed value. The recorder provides access to look up recorded land instruments such as deeds and mortgages through Doxpop. The treasurer allows real estate payment through the Forte.

Who Keeps Franklin County Property Records?

Access to Franklin County property records is governed by the Indiana Access to Public Records Act. Below are the four offices that maintain them:

• The Franklin County Recorder's Office maintains deeds, plats, assignments, mortgages, releases, liens, and other related instruments. These records are indexed and available on microfilm and as digital images at the Recorder’s Office and through its online portal.

• The Franklin County Assessor’s Office handles property assessment data, local property revaluations, and plat maps. It also establishes fair and equitable values for all real and personal property for tax assessment purposes.

• The Franklin County Auditor’s Office duty is to protect the county taxpayers' money and document all legal proceedings.

• Tax bills, property tax payments, property tax clearance, mobile home permits, and property tax information are managed by the Franklin County Treasurer’s Office.

How to Search Franklin County Property Records Online

The outlined procedures are effective for searching Franklin County property records online:

1. Start with the WthGIS portal to find the right parcel by searching the owner’s name, parcel number, or address.
2. The portal will display a results page that allows you to view the parcel information, including legal descriptions, tax history, payment history, deductions, and assessment information.
3. From the parcel information, use either the owner’s name or legal description to search Doxpop and access recorded documents. Through this portal, you can verify the chain of title and check for any encumbrances.
4. After that, visit the treasurer’s office or use its online forte portal to verify the property tax status before buying. This will allow you to check for any money owed.
5. For reference purposes, request copies of the records from the Recorder’s Office. You will be asked to pay to get copies.

Recorder: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

In Franklin County, you can get and review recorded documents through the Recorder’s Office. The recorder provides property alerts when a document is recorded under your name through the Doxpopo watch. The common instruments recorded with the Recorder’s Office include:

• Deeds

• Mortgages

• Powers of attorney

• Real estate contracts

• Surveys

• Plats

• Federal tax liens

• Condominiums

• Discharges

• Mechanic’s liens

Assessor and Auditor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

The Assessor’s Office ensures all ad valorem property is valued fairly and equitably. The assessor also keeps detailed record cards of every property in Franklin County. The Auditor’s Office oversees the documentation of a property when it is sold or ownership changes. Also, all deductions must be filed with the Auditor’s Office before January 15th in order to be applied to the property.

Treasurer: Tax Bills and Payments

The Franklin County Treasurer mails tax bills, collects property taxes, and conducts tax sales on delinquent properties. Property taxes are due May 11 and November 10. You can pay your property taxes by mail, online, or in person at the Treasurer's Office.

Property Tax in Franklin County: Rates, Deductions and Appeals

Franklin 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 cap

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 taxpayer is dissatisfied with their assessment, they may appeal within 45 days of the notice date. The taxpayer must file a Form 130 with the Assessor and state the reason for the appeal. The Assessor will review the appeal filed and render its decision.

If the Assessor makes no changes, the appeal may be forwarded to the County Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals. A hearing is scheduled, and the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals will render its decision. If needed, the matter may be taken to the Indiana Board of Tax Review for further review.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

In Franklin County, you can explore the county WthGIS to view parcel boundaries, aerial imagery, topography, flood zones, and zoning classifications. You may search this portal by property owner’s name, address, or parcel number. In addition, the IndianaMap Viewer can be used to obtain details about land parcels statewide.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Below are the common processes for mortgage foreclosure and tax sales in Franklin County.

Mortgage foreclosure

Mortgage foreclosures are done through court processes. That means lenders cannot evict borrowers from their home without taking legal steps. If the court authorizes the lenders, the property will be auctioned to the highest bidders during a sheriff’s sale. However, a notice will be published in a local newspaper before the auction date. Note that the borrowers have the right to stop their property from being auctioned by paying the full judgment costs and any accumulated interest.

Tax sale

When property taxes remain unpaid, they become delinquent and may be subject to collection actions, including a tax sale. Under Indiana law, the Franklin County Treasurer and Auditor are authorized to auction tax-delinquent properties to recover the unpaid taxes.

Under Indiana law, the property owner is granted a 12-month right of redemption, which allows them to redeem their property after it has been sold at a tax sale. To redeem, property owners must repay the tax sale certificate amount paid by the purchaser, a statutory 10% during the first six months and 15% before a year, and any accumulated taxes.

Costs to Access Property Records

The Franklin County Recorder’s Office charges a fee to record a document or obtain copies of property records. These fees are listed in the table below:

How to Record a Document

Here are steps you should take when recording a property document in Franklin County:

1. Ensure the document meets Franklin County recording requirements. Type or print the names under each signature, include the name of the person preparing the document, and have it notarized. An Auditor endorsement is required before recording if you want to transfer ownership.
2. Calculate the recording fees before submission. The fees for each document are listed on the recorder page.
3. File the complete documents with the County Recorder or through an e-recording partner.
4. You can retrieve a copy of a recorded land document online through Doxpop or by request when you visit the Recorder's Office in Brookville.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Franklin County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals