Iowa · Document Recording
Recording a Deed or Document in Appanoose County, IA
Appanoose County (population 12,317) records real-property documents through the Appanoose County Recorder (Maegan Messamaker). Below is what it costs and how to submit. Filing a memorandum of contract? We record it with the county for $199, notary included — no trip to the courthouse.
Appanoose County recorder — contact
- Recording office
- Appanoose County Recorder (Maegan Messamaker)
- Mailing address
- 201 N 12th St, Centerville, IA 52544 (Appanoose County Courthouse)
- Phone
- (641) 856-6103
- Checks payable to
- Appanoose County Recorder
- Electronic recording
- Available via Simplifile
Appanoose County recording fees
- First page / base fee
- $7.00 (statewide Iowa Code 331.604/331.605 fee schedule)
- Additional pages
- $5.00 per additional page
- Other fees
- $5.00 per section/block transferred (auditor's transfer fee); $10 penalty per noncompliant document
Counties change fees without notice. Check with the Appanoose County Recorder (Maegan Messamaker) before you mail a check.
What Appanoose County requires
- Page formatting
- White paper ≥20# weight, no watermarks; text must reproduce clearly; signatures in black/dark blue ink with typed/printed names beneath; illegible documents must include a legible copy (billed as additional pages)
- Cover sheet
- No separate cover sheet mandated; statewide Iowa Code §331.606B formatting standard requires first page 3-inch top margin reserved for recorder's use
- Submission & return
- Mail or e-recording return
- Hours & turnaround
- Not separately quoted
Can you e-record in Appanoose County?
Yes. Appanoose County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, so a properly formatted document can be recorded the same or next business day without mailing paper.
How to record a document in Appanoose County, Iowa
- Prepare the document so it meets Appanoose County's formatting rules (above): legal description, grantee address, signature block, and the blank space the recorder reserves for its stamp.
- Notarize it if the instrument requires acknowledgment. Most deeds and affidavits do.
- Submit electronically through Simplifile, or by mail to Appanoose County Recorder (Maegan Messamaker).
- Pay the recording fee, payable to Appanoose County Recorder.
- Receive the recorded instrument back with its book/page or instrument number as proof of record.
Looking up a Appanoose County property
Owner names, parcel numbers and legal descriptions for Appanoose County property are searchable at Appanoose County Assessor. A deed or memorandum needs the exact legal description, so pull it from there or from the last recorded deed.
How Jurably helps in Appanoose County
Jurably isn’t a deed-filing desk. It’s how real-estate investors get the important paperwork done. If you’re under contract on a Appanoose County property, we file a memorandum of contract to put your equitable interest on the public record, where every title search will find it. The online notary session is included: you sign it alone, and the seller is notified by certified mail. Then we record it (electronically through the county’s approved network) and return the recorded instrument. It’s a self-help filing service, not legal advice.
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Jurably in Appanoose
Under contract in Appanoose County? Secure it.
Jurably files a memorandum to protect your deal, notarizes what you need, and records it — no courthouse trip.