I worked on land\real estate ownership records in ten states as a realty specialist for the gov't, and I am not aware of any state that requires rerecording deeds once you have acquired real estate. There are annual tax records, mortgage records, etc., but unless the land owner passes the title thru sale, will or other device, there will be no further recording of the deed. In representing the gov't, I negotiated the purchase of a tract in Delaware Co., OH which had been in the same family since the ancestor had acquired the land by grant, signed by President Madison - in abt 1810, as I recall - and the only transactions since that time had been three records of probate. One of the common problems that we had in acquiring property for gov't projects, was that the owners of record had died, oft-times many years ago, and there was now no one living that could give title. Current occupants were often surprised and upset to learn that relatives that they had never heard of were considered by the law to be "part-owner" of the land, by virtue of the failure to have probated the estate, oft-times 50 or more years previously, and there were now many dozens of "heirs". I don't know of any state that requires the probate of an estate or transfer of title, as long as the taxes are paid currently. Think about your own property - if you died tomorrow, with heir(s), who continued to pay the taxes, it is most unlikely that the fact that the owner (you) had died would come to the attention of the local officials - unless there was an action in probate. Even in small communities, where everyone "knows" everything about everybody, it is not likely that any action would be taken unless the heirs took it. > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Author: joanlund > Surnames: > Classification: queries > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.illinois.counties.pike/3587.2/mb.ashx > > Message Board Post: > > I ran into the problem in Pike county that the land was still in the family and nothing was recorded in the court house but the original entry and in Illinois they apparently don't have to until the land is sold outside the family. Found some records of selling the mineral rights but that was all. > > > >