The Clay County Examiner of Titles, Zenas Baer, handles district court Torrens cases, conducts hearings, issues directives and certifications, and provides legal advice and assistance to the Clay County Registrar of Titles. Minnesota has 2 real estate record systems, the abstract system and Torrens system. The most common is the abstract system.
Certificate of Title
Land can be registered through a court proceeding into the Torrens Title system. At the end of the Torrens Land Registration Process, the owner obtains a certificate of title to the property. Any liens or encumbrances that have been recorded are referenced on the certificate. When ownership of the property changes, the old certificate of title will be canceled and a new certificate will be issued in the name of the new owner.
Directives are often required when:
- Property is held in a trust
- Owners have divorced
- Owner(s) have passed away
- There is a foreclosure