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

Homes in Howard County typically spend between 14 and 30 days on the market before receiving an offer. However, properties around Kokomo, Greentown, and Russiaville tend to receive offers faster than those in other parts of the county.

Howard County has mostly owner-occupied and affordable housing stock. Its inventory consists mostly of single-family homes, while multi-unit residential structures and townhomes make up a smaller portion. To find property information, interested parties must contact the Treasurer, Recorder, Assessor, or Auditor, depending on the information needed.

Recent records reveal the underlying factors influencing the local real estate market, with a median home value of $168,900 and median rent of $842, alongside a median household income of $68,796 and a median real estate tax rate of 0.68 as a percentage of the property's assessed value.

How to Look Up Howard County Property Records

Howard County relies on four primary online portals to disseminate property-related documents and information. The Laredo and Tapestry EON portals are used to search land records and documents recorded with the Howard County Recorder.

The Beacon website and its GIS portal allow users to view parcel maps, ownership details, property specifications, and assessment data. Although the Invoice Cloud portal processes property tax payments, the main portal for searching tax information in Howard County is the Low website.

Who Keeps Howard County Property Records?

The Indiana Access to Public Records Act grants public access to property records, excluding information protected by law. Record custodians are required to search documents and redact sensitive information before public disclosure. The main offices in charge of property records in Howard County include:

• The Recorder keeps a clear and precise record of property ownership in the county. It maintains permanent public real estate records of all transactions that transfer property from one individual to another.

• The Assessor determines the assessed value of all real parcels in the county. It also reviews sales disclosures to confirm the reported selling price.

• The Auditor prepares tax records that show each property’s assessed value and the taxes owed by its owner. As part of the tax function, this office also maintains plats that display the ownership and assessed value of each parcel.

• The Treasurer collects real property taxes and serves as the county's investment manager.

How to Search Howard County Property Records Online

You can get a complete picture of a Howard County property by following these steps:

1. On the Beacon property search page, enter the property’s address, owner name, parcel ID, or property ID to find the correct parcel. This shows a list of information recorded with the Assessor, Treasurer, and Auditor offices.
2. Click on the property record card to view the parcel’s assessment details. This displays the current owner of record and ownership history, location information, sketch, improvements, and total value.
3. To confirm your findings, visit the Low website to cross-reference the tax information. On the landing page, enter the parcel ID number, duplicate number, owner name, or address. From the list of matching results, select the correct parcel to view the tax summary, balance due, billing details, and payment history.
4. For one-time access to land documents and indexes, use the Tapestry portal. To look up deeds or other documents tied to the property, you will need to enter the grantor’s name, book/page number, recording date, or instrument number. The Tapestry portal is not free and charges $8.75 per search plus $1 per page for copies.

Recorder: Deeds, Mortgages, and Plats

The Howard County Recorder records property documents to establish legal public notice and for future reference. The office receives and processes thousands of documents each year, including:

• Surveys

• Plats

• Real estate contracts

• Mechanic’s lien

• Powers of attorney

• Deeds

• Mortgages

• Assignments

Assessor and Auditor: Ownership, Values, and Parcel Data

Every year, the Assessor conducts a trending analysis of all real property in Howard County. The Assessor also oversees the general reassessment process. The Auditor is the primary financial officer responsible for calculating actual tax figures. This office also applies tax rates and deductions to the Assessor’s valuations.

The Howard County Assessor sends Notice of Assessment (Form 11) to property owners on May 1. The notice informs them of changes to their land or structure valuations.

Treasurer: Tax Bills and Payments

In Howard County, the Treasurer bills, collects, and receives real property taxes. It also handles delinquent property tax collections and conducts annual tax sales for unpaid taxes. The Treasurer’s Office typically mails a single, combined tax statement to property owners in April. This mailing includes payment coupons for both required installments. The first half is due May 10, and the second half is due November 10.

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

Property tax calculations in Howard County begin with the property’s gross assessed value. The county subtracts any eligible deductions to find the net assessed value. This net value is multiplied by the local tax rate. The state’s tax caps are then applied to ensure the total bill does not exceed 1% to 3% of the gross assessed value.

Circuit-breaker caps

Circuit breaker caps place a limit on the property taxes an owner can owe based on their property’s gross assessed value. The limit is 1% for homestead primary residences, 2% for non-homestead residential properties, and 3% for commercial real estate. If the calculated tax exceeds the applicable limit, a tax credit reduces the final bill to the maximum amount allowed.

Deductions and relief

Appealing your value

To resolve issues related to a property’s assessed value, the property owner must file a subjective appeal to the Assessor. This appeal can be filed by using Form 130 or a written notice. If the Assessor does not adjust the value, the appeal will be forwarded to the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals (PTABOA). The PTABOA holds hearings within 180 days and issues a decision.

If the property owner disagrees with the PTABOA’s decision, they may appeal to the Indiana Board of Tax Review (IBTR) by filing Form 131 with the County Auditor. The Indiana Tax Court is the last resort if the property owner disagrees with the IBTR.

GIS Maps and Parcel Viewer

Howard County uses Beacon as its official public GIS portal. The portal provides public, interactive access to spatial, tax, and property assessment data. It allows users to search individual land parcels by address, parcel number, or owner name. To reveal specific characteristics and administrative divisions, the portal incorporates the following map layers, such as:

• Parcels

• Parcel dimensions

• Route number

• Public land survey

• Planning and zoning

• County boundary

• Easement dimensions

• Subdivisions

The DLGF Gateway portal is useful for checking tax bills across the state.

Foreclosure and Tax Sales

Before buying or investing in a Howard County property, it is crucial to conduct a search for mortgage foreclosures and tax sales. This will identify unpaid debts and claims that can affect property ownership.

Mortgage foreclosure

In Howard County, mortgage foreclosures follow a court process governed by IC 32-30-10. To begin the process, a lender must file a foreclosure lawsuit in the Howard County Superior or Circuit Court. Before filing the lawsuit, the lender must send a 30-day pre-foreclosure notice to the borrower or property owner.

After the court enters a foreclosure judgment, the Howard County Sheriff’s Office handles the public auction. Indiana law allows the owner to redeem the property before this sale by paying the full judgment, court costs, and interest. Once the sheriff completes the sale and transfers the property to the buyer, the former owner loses their legal interest in the property.

Tax sale

IC 6-1.1-24 authorizes tax sales in Howard County. After sending the required notices, the county can sell a property with unpaid taxes at a public tax sale. After paying the delinquent taxes and related costs, the successful bidder receives a tax sale certificate instead of immediate ownership.

After the sale, the owner or any eligible party can redeem the property by paying the tax sale amount, interest, and other costs. If no payment is made before the deadline, the buyer can complete the required notice process and apply for a tax deed.

Costs to Access Property Records

IC 36-2-7-10 sets the recording fees collected by the Howard County Recorder when recording a property document. The Auditor collects the transfer fees before updating property ownership records.

How to Record a Document

You need to meet specific statutory requirements and navigate the right county offices to record a property document in Howard County:

1. When preparing the document, ensure that all signatures are notarized and the printed names of signatories and witnesses match throughout the document.
2. The document must state who prepared it and include the property's full legal description. It must also include mandatory Social Security Redaction Affirmation and the grantee’s tax billing address.
3. If the instrument is a deed or property transfer document, it must undergo routing through other county departments. Submit the document and the sales disclosure form to the Assessor for verification. The Auditor processes the property transfer, collects the transfer and sales disclosure fees, and stamps the document.
4. Once the document is stamped, you can submit it along with the recording fees to the Recorder’s Office in person, by mail, or online. If you are submitting your document online, contact approved e-Recording partners like ePN, Indecomm, Simplifile, or CSC. These vendors route conveyance documents to the Assessor, Auditor, and back to the Recorder’s Office for final recording.

FAQs

Quick Reference: Your Howard County Property Records Checklist

Key Contacts and Official Portals