# Find properties with specific types of recordings Every county in the United States has a recorder, or recorder's office, which keeps a record of property transactions, liens, and other legal actions that involve a parcel in that county. In Cook County, this responsibility was transferred from the Cook County Recorder of Deeds to the Cook County Clerk in 2020 after a referendum to merge the two offices and eliminate the elected recorder position. Chicago Cityscape gathers some information about the recordings associated with each parcel number, or PIN. These include mortgages, releases from mortgages, various types of deeds, liens, court documents, and lis pendens and lis pendens foreclosures. These recordings can be used to do a [[Title search|title search]] to verify who owns a property and uncover claims and liens. Use Property Finder's "Recordings" filter to locate properties with one or more of types of recordings; this can be used in both Property Reports and Place Reports. The filter is limited to recordings posted within the last 12 months. Based on member feedback we may extend this or add a date filter. ## How to find properties with specific recording types 1. In a Place Report's Property Finder, look for "Recordings" or enter "recordings" in the "Find a filter" search box to show relevant filters. 2. Select the "Show recording types" heading to reveal the list of recording types. 3. Select the desired recording type or group of recording types (the full list is in the section below, and shown in *screenshot 1* below. For example, there is a "Quit claim deed" option which is the most common deed recorded after arms length sales between buyers and sellers, and there is an "All deeds" option which will look for properties with any of 11 types of deeds. 4. Select the "Apply filters" button and after a moment the map and data table will refresh. ### Tips - This filter can be combined with other filters; for example, you could limit the search to condos and 2-6 flat buildings by using "Filter by property class". - Currently you can filter for properties with recordings in the last 60 days, within the last year, and within the last 2 years.  *Screenshot 1* ## List of recording types Property Finder allows you to filter by these recording types and recording groups: - All properties. This is the default filter which this means the recordings filter is disabled. - Lis pendens foreclosure. This means "suit is pending", sometimes used by the City of Chicago when they take a property owner to building court. - Mortgage (has been obtained) - Release (from a mortgage) - Mechanics lien. These are used by vendors to secure payment for construction work. - Lien - "All lien types". This filter is a group comprising MECHANICS LIEN, LIEN, CHILD SUPPORT LIEN, CORRECTED LIEN, FEDERAL LIEN, STATE LIEN, RELEASE STATE LIEN, RELEASE FED LIEN, PARTIAL REL FED LIEN, and NOTICE PROP TAX DEFERRAL LIEN. - Quit claim deed - "All deed types". This filter is a group of 11 deed types, comprising corrected deed, corrected quit claim deed, corrected special warranty deed, corrected warranty deed, deed, deed in trust, quit claim deed, special warranty deed, trust deed, trustee's deed, and warranty deed. - Court doc. ## Notes - This feature was added to Chicago Cityscape in December 2023; as of January 15, 2024, one month after the feature was added, about 78 percent of properties in Cook County have at least one recording. And as of August 23, 2024, that figure is 99.9 percent. - [You can search the Cook County Clerk's Recordings database](https://crs.cookcountyclerkil.gov/Search/Additional) # Related articles - [[Property Finder in a Place Report|Use Property Finder to identify specific properties in a Place]] - [[Property data notes]] - [[Title search]]