Collection context
Summary
- Creators:
- San Diego County (Calif.). Office of County Recorder
- Abstract:
- Extent:
- 106.88 cubic feet (152 manuscript boxes, 50 oversize boxes, 1 oversize folder)
- Language:
- Preferred citation:
-
San Diego County Recorder Torrens records. San Diego County Archives
Background
- Scope and content:
-
The Torrens records document the administration and operation of the Torrens land registration system in San Diego County, California from 1913 to 1985. The Torrens system, a voluntary means of land title registration, was adopted by California voters as Proposition 22 in 1914. As the records were administered by the County Recorder, who served as Registrar of Titles, they were collected and maintained by the San Diego County Office of the Recorder and include Certificates of Title and a variety of supporting documents such as deeds, mortgages, releases of mortgage, reconveyances, judgements, tax records, and other legal agreements. The Torrens system aimed to establish and uphold legally valid title to real property by issuing a Certificate of Title that served as definitive evidence of ownership, thus eliminating the need for repeated title examinations with each transfer of ownership. Once ownership changed hands the existing certificate was cancelled and a new one issued, if the new owner chose, with all documents tied to the corresponding certificate number. Note that records dated 1985 consist entirely of pages inserted by County Recorder staff to indicate a Certificate number or range of Certificate numbers were not used. Arrangement of Records Materials have been divided into four series, Torrens Name Index (1916-1955), Torrens Certificates (1913-1955, 1985), Register of Certificates of Title (1916-1955), and Torrens Certificates, Cancelled (1913-1955). Series 1) Torrens Name Index: Consists of bound volumes that record the date, document number, name(s) of landowner(s) and other parties, type of instrument (i.e., deed, decree, easement, judgement, etc.), register (volume, certificate, and page numbers), and a brief description of the property. Entries are grouped by the first letter of the owner’s last name and arranged chronologically within that grouping. Note that the title on Book 1 is Name Index. That title has been retained in the container list. Series 2) Torrens Certificates: Consists of Torrens Certificates and associated documents. Documents differ from folder to folder, though all relate directly to a specific Certificate of Title and therefore, a specific parcel of real property. Examples of documents in these files include mortgages and releases of mortgages, judgements of the Superior Court, agreements for sale of real estate, receipts for duplicate certificates, grant deeds, etc. Materials are arranged primarily by certificate number; however, some folder titles are textual and are arranged in the order they were received. Series 3) Register of Certificates of Titles: Consists of issued Certificates of Title. These certificates are housed separately but correspond to the Torrens found in the previous series. Information provided includes date certificate was issued, name(s) of owner(s), description of real property, and ledger-style entries noting instruments that impact the property’s title including mortgages and mortgage redemptions, delinquent taxes and their redemption, various types of deeds, and reconveyances. Note that there are gaps in these records; records not in this series may be present in Series 4, Torrens Certificates, Cancelled. Certificates are arranged numerically by certificate number. Series 4) Torrens Certificates, Cancelled: Consists of Certificates that were cancelled when a change of ownership occurred to registered land. Certificates were cancelled following decrees of the Superior Court of the State of California, in and for the County of San Diego. They note the initial registration certificate (i.e., Torrens certificate) number(s) and can, therefore, be cross-referenced to those records found in Series 2. Note that there are gaps in these records; records not in this series may be present in Series 3, Register of Certificates of Title. Materials are arranged numerically by certificate number.
- Biographical / historical:
-
The San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk (ARCC) department consists of five distinct divisions, the two main production divisions are: the Assessor and the Recorder/County Clerk. The department is the result of the combination of three distinct county offices: the San Diego County Assessor (established 1849), County Recorder (established 1850), and County Clerk, (established 1849.) The responsibilities of the Assessor's office are rooted in the Constitution of the State of California (1849). Section 13 of Article XI notes that “assessors and collectors of town, County, and State taxes, shall be elected by the qualified electors… in which the property taxed… is situated.” Chapter 43 of the statutes of the 1850 California legislature (California Stats. 1850, Ch. 43) passed “An Act concerning the office of the County Assessor,” which addressed several administrative points, among them term of office, appointment of deputies, compensation, and other administrative provisions. Further clarification regarding the duties of the County Assessor were provided in California Stats. 1852, Ch. 3 which mandates the location, identification, and valuation of all vacant land, improved real estate, and business property. This was later expanded to include certain manufactured homes, boats, and aircraft. Additionally, the Assessor's office maintains comprehensive records on all taxable properties within the boundaries of the San Diego County, including the maintenance of maps of all real property parcels. Similarly, California Stat. 1850, Ch. 58, “An Act establishing Recorders’ Offices, and defining the Duties of the Recorder and County Auditor,” was passed on April 4, 1850. The California state legislature implemented a recording system to document and preserve evidence of title to, or interest in, land. The County Recorder was tasked with the permanent recording and preservation of Official Records, defined in California Government Code section 27300 as “… permanent archival record of all instruments, papers, and notices as accepted for recording by a county recorder.” Over time, the responsibilities of the recorder evolved, adapting to changing needs and merging with the duties of other related officials. For example, in 1872, the County Recorder was designated the local registrar for birth, death, and marriage records. In July 1905 a state agency, currently the California Department of Public Heath – Vital Records unit, became the primary record holder of birth, death, and marriage records. The primary purpose of the recording system was to provide a public record of property ownership within the county and to document transfers or encumbrances affecting properties. Certain transactions in personal property were also included in the public record. This system allowed individuals intending to purchase land, the opportunity to determine the ownership and condition of a property's title in a public setting. The adopted system was based on practices in many Eastern states in 1850, which involved indexing the names of parties involved in land transactions to one volume while copying the actual document text into separate volumes. Distinct sets of indexes and volumes were allocated for each type of document, as defined by California Government Code sections 27232 through 27254. However, in 1921 the legislature authorized the use of a combined General Index for all types of documents. Section 7 of Article VI of the Constitution of the State of California (1849) established the office of the County Clerk while California Stats. 1850, Ch. 110 defined the duties of the office. The County Clerk served as the ex officio clerk of the court of sessions and probate court, attending each session of the county courts for which they held responsibility, they issued all writs, entered orders, judgments, and decrees, maintained dockets for all courts, and managed and disposed of records in accordance with the law. Additionally, the County Clerk administered oaths and accepted bonds for public officials. For a brief period beginning in 1866 with the Registry Act (California Stats. 1866, Ch. 265), the county Clerk was also responsible for recording a list of every eligible voter in the county. In 1990, an amendment to the San Diego County Charter was proposed with the intent of consolidating the responsibilities of the County Clerk and County Recorder into a single entity. A special election was called, and this merger was subsequently approved by the voters, leading to its implementation in 1991. A further amendment was proposed in 1993, aiming to consolidate the Recorder/County Clerk with the Assessor. This amendment was also approved by the voters, resulting in the establishment of the Assessor/Recorder/County Clerk under the leadership of a single elected official in 1995. Today, the County Clerk in San Diego County continues to perform essential functions as defined in California Government Code sections 26801 through 26810, including the acceptance of filings for fictitious business names and notary public oaths and bonds, the issuance of marriage licenses, and conducting civil marriage ceremonies. It is important to note that the original geographic boundaries of San Diego County included territory in present-day Imperial (formed 1907), Riverside (formed 1893), Inyo (formed 1866, expanded 1872), and San Bernardino (formed 1853) Counties.
- Acquisition information:
- Transferred by San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk, 2020
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
The collection is open for research use. Please contact the San Diego County Archives staff at archives@sdcounty.ca.gov for access information.
- Preferred citation:
-
San Diego County Recorder Torrens records. San Diego County Archives
- Location of this collection:
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10144 Mission Gorge RoadSantee, CA 92071, US
- Contact:
- (619) 237-0502