Kalamazoo County, Michigan Public Records

Investigations closed

297

Back wages agreed

$2,367,782

Workers due back wages

4,350

Civil money penalties

$325,220

Employers on the record

246

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 246 on the Kalamazoo County record; 89 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 221 more with smaller records are on the Michigan wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Kalamazoo County records: early images, later indexing and different search charges

Separate the image collection from the complete index

The Register's coverage explanation says land-record images reach 1831, while the complete index extends back through 1984. Older images can therefore exist without the same name-search coverage as recent instruments. Preserve a liber/page or document number discovered in a later filing and use it to pursue the earlier image. A modern name query alone should not be described as a search of every image in the historical collection.

Select the search product before estimating cost

The Document Searches page describes a free Deeds Search index, Tapestry EON with a search charge, and Laredo for regular subscription use. Image viewing, printing or saving can cost extra even when the index search is free. A known instrument reference can reduce unnecessary searching, but it does not make the image a free product. Retain the service name and the selected document with any purchase confirmation.

Keep a latest-deed lookup separate from a title examination

The county offers a staff lookup of the latest deed for a stated search charge and copy costs, but explains that it does not provide an in-depth title search or abstract covering easements, rights of way or mineral interests. Define the requested product accordingly. Someone investigating the whole history of a parcel may need to follow related instruments beyond the latest deed and obtain qualified assistance with their legal effect.

Distinguish copies, certification and recording fees

The Register fee schedule lists $1 per copy page, $5 certification per document and $5 per search. A recording fee is a different product. Ask whether a staff search is needed when the recording reference is already known, and specify certification before calculating the amount. A request spanning several instruments should list each separately so the page and certification components can be checked against the office's quote.

Plan the visit around the Wednesday opening

The Document Searches contact block has a later Wednesday opening than the other weekdays. Use the Recorder's actual schedule rather than a general county-building listing, and distinguish public workstation research from other Clerk services with their own processing cutoffs. Prepare names, liber/page references and the question each document is expected to answer before arriving. Save both the image and the reference if the research will continue outside the office.

Send construction-history questions to the local assessor

The Register's FAQ directs questions about when a home was built to the city or township assessor, while recorded instruments concern the land and related interests. A deed involving a builder can provide a clue without proving the completion date of a structure. Keep the assessor's property information and recorded ownership documents as separate sources. The Michigan records guide extends the inquiry to courts and state collections.