Occasionally as part of surveying work (or before you bring in a surveyor) you may need to seek out old records relating to the property you’re having surveyed. This can be more easily said than done, especially if the property is older. The older the records, the harder it will be to find the relevant information at the courthouse, especially when you consider how the methods of recordkeeping have changed over the years and how common fires once were at courthouses and other major buildings.
In some cases, especially if the records would date back prior to the 1900s, there might not be records in existence for you to find. However, it’s at least going and checking to see if there are records on hand, because it can save you some time and money with regard to a land survey. Here’s some information you should know about conducting courthouse deed research in Texas.
Going to the courthouse
The best step to take is by searching for the deed to the property at the courthouse. The deed will usually contain important information like the name of the original owner, the name of the current owner and the date. It will also have information about the purchaser. The importance of this information goes beyond surveying and mapping—it can also be highly beneficial for people performing research into their family’s genealogy.
There might be records aside from deeds on hand, as well, which could contain other useful information. These might include probate records, mortgage records, leases, landowner information and “land taken for back taxes.” If there are any plat books on record, those will provide some thorough information specifically relating to the land.
The amount of information you can expect to find at the courthouse will vary based on the jurisdiction, but be prepared to encounter an extremely disorganized collection. There aren’t any standards that govern recordkeeping at local courthouses, so you might have to dig through boxes of old information. There might be piles of records in a tiny room, or there might be a sophisticated, well-organized collection of records in a warehouse. The records might be locked down or restricted, or you might just be able to walk in and make copies. There might be paper documents, there might be microfilm or you might even get lucky and find digitized records.
Before you head to the courthouse, make sure the property you’re seeking information on is, in fact, in the jurisdiction for that courthouse—otherwise, you’re just wasting your time. It’s also a good idea to go closer to the middle of the month, so you can avoid the rush for real estate closings at the end of the month.
If you’re interested in learning more about the benefits of performing courthouse deed research in Texas and what you should prepare for upon going to the courthouse for the first time to look for important property records, we encourage you to contact our land surveyors at D.G. Smyth & Co., Inc.