Van Buren County, Michigan Public Records

Investigations closed

163

Back wages agreed

$619,773

Workers due back wages

1,596

Civil money penalties

$265,209

Employers on the record

122

The 25 employers with the most back wages agreed, of 122 on the Van Buren County record; 63 employers have a page of their own and open from the table, the rest show their whole record here. The 97 more with smaller records are on the Michigan wage theft records page, whose search answers for every employer in the state.

Van Buren searches by Liber, court and certificate collection

Match the Paw Paw desk to the record series

Van Buren separates land recording from the County Clerk's court and vital-record functions. The Register of Deeds indexes recorded instruments by Liber and Page, while the Clerk maintains circuit-court filings and county birth, death, and marriage records. Start by deciding whether the document describes land, a court proceeding, or a registered life event. A person's appearance in a property index does not supply a marriage certificate, and a parcel page does not supply the deed text. County Clerk responsibilities.

The Clerk's contact address is 212 E Paw Paw Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079, with telephone 269-657-8218, option 6. The Register of Deeds is at 219 E Paw Paw Street, Suite 102, and telephone 269-657-8242. These nearby offices keep different collections, so identify the destination on a mailed request. Clerk address source: vanburencountymi.gov. The land-record office asks for the Liber and Page when available, which helps staff identify the intended instrument without confusing it with another filing. Register of Deeds contact and indexing.

Use the Liber number to choose the copy workflow

The Register of Deeds gives different payment instructions for documents in Liber 924 or lower and those in Liber 925 or higher. Earlier documents use the linked payment route; later documents use the searchable index, with download following payment. Gather the Liber, Page, and document length before starting the transaction. The office also notes that high-demand online copy orders may require up to two working days, so the available payment method and fulfillment method should be checked together. Source: vanburencountymi.gov.

The same office directs researchers to the county-linked BS&A property search for legal descriptions and deed references. Where a Liber and Page is absent, it suggests checking sale history or conducting an office search for property held a long time. That is a useful research sequence: begin with a parcel or owner clue, record the deed reference, then retrieve the recorded document. Assessment information may help locate the record, but the recorded instrument remains the source for its actual language. Source: vanburencountymi.gov.

Keep the land-copy price apart from recording

The land fee schedule lists copies at $1 per page and certification at $5 per document. A certified deed total therefore includes the page copies and the certification component. Recording a deed, mortgage, or other covered instrument is a flat $30 per document regardless of page count, with an additional $3 for each instrument assigned or discharged. That flat recording charge is not a first-page price followed by a separate charge for every additional page. Real-estate fee schedule.

Recording and transfer-tax payments are limited to cash or check, with checks payable to the Register of Deeds. The office asks for a return envelope with postage when documents need to be mailed back. Before sending a transaction, distinguish the recording charge from any tax-certificate or transfer-tax requirement. A payment made for an existing copy does not submit a new instrument for recording; an original instrument submitted for recording does not by itself request extra certified copies. Source: vanburencountymi.gov.

Search the correct Van Buren court first

The Clerk's case-information service provides separate links for the 36th Circuit Court, 7th District Court, and Probate Court. It also separates case-search links from the calendars for Paw Paw and South Haven. A calendar is useful for locating a scheduled proceeding; a docket and the filed documents answer what happened in the case. Preserve the court name with the case number when asking staff for an order, since similarly named parties may appear in more than one court collection. Local court search and calendar choices.

The Clerk fee schedule lists ordinary copies at $1 per page and a further $10 for certification, with the entire document required when obtaining a certified copy. A decree or judgment can therefore cost more than the certification amount alone. When asking for a divorce order, identify the case and whether the final judgment or a later modification is wanted. Ask for the total using the full document length, rather than assuming that a single selected page can be certified independently. Clerk document-copy charges.

Bring the documentation for the birth record you can request

Van Buren birth records are described as available from 1867. The Clerk identifies eligible requesters, including the person named, parents, and specified heirs, guardians, or legal representatives; some relationships require supporting documents. A valid driver license or state-issued ID is requested. Where the requester lacks that identification, the instructions describe an alternative-document process. Consult that process before mailing an application so the request contains the evidence needed for staff to evaluate access. Birth-record access instructions.

For a mailed birth request, include the full name on the record, date and place of birth, parents' birth names, a signature, and a copy of the requester's identification. If the mailing address differs from the ID, the Clerk asks for additional address evidence. Birth copies cost $15 initially and $5 for another certified copy; the published counter schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., excluding federal holidays. Incomplete requests are returned for completion. Source: vanburencountymi.gov.

Separate historical death coverage from the online index

The death-certificate instructions describe county records from 1867, but the linked online index begins in 1987. A search that produces no online match therefore cannot settle whether an earlier death record exists in the Clerk collection. For a mail request, supply the deceased's name at death and an approximate date within five years, with payment. If researching an older event, explain the estimated period instead of limiting the inquiry to the online index. Death-record and index coverage.

Certified death copies are listed at $15 for the first copy and $5 for each additional copy. Checks or money orders should be payable to the County Clerk, and cash should not be mailed. The office also offers an online vital-record request and in-person service. Decide how many certified copies the receiving organizations require before ordering; a downloaded index reference and a certified certificate are different products, even when both identify the same death. Source: vanburencountymi.gov.

Find the license filed with Van Buren

The marriage collection covers licenses applied for and filed with the Van Buren County Clerk, with records described from 1836 and an online index beginning in 1974. Supply the names used when the license was requested and an approximate marriage date. If the online years do not cover the event, ask the Clerk about the historical collection. A ceremony location alone may not identify the office that issued and filed the license. Marriage record coverage.

Marriage certificate fees are $15 for the first certified copy and $5 for each additional certified copy. The marriage-copy process is separate from applying for a new license. The Clerk also handles assumed-name certificates, county election duties, and Board of Commissioners records, so a request should identify which collection is intended. Marriage fee source: vanburencountymi.gov. For a county meeting decision, ask for the minutes or filed communication rather than using the vital-record order form. Source: vanburencountymi.gov.

Use the jail and tax contacts for their own records

The Sheriff Corrections division lists the jail at 205 S Kalamazoo Street, Paw Paw, MI 49079, with telephone 269-657-2171. That is the detention contact, separate from the Clerk or Register of Deeds. Use the Sheriff's inmate and records-service routes for a custody or agency-report inquiry, then use the appropriate court search for an order or case disposition. A booking reference and a court case number should be kept separately because they identify different records. Corrections division address and telephone.

The Treasurer maintains county money records, delinquent property-tax information, and tax-foreclosure services. Its office is at 219 E Paw Paw Street, Suite 101, with telephone 269-657-8228. For a parcel investigation, compare the Treasurer's payment or delinquency information with the deed reference from the Register and the property information in the assessment system. Each record answers a different question: a recorded transfer, a property description, or a tax-account posting. Treasurer collections and contact.