Descriptive Summary
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Biography/Administrative History
Scope and Content of Collection
Indexing Terms
Additional collection guides
Descriptive Summary
Title: San Diego County Recorder Deeds
Dates: 1850-1916, bulk 1850-1868
Collection Number: RCC/OFR08
Creator/Collector:
San Diego County (Calif.). Office of County Recorder
Extent: 7.94 cubic feet (12 oversize boxes)
Repository:
San Diego County Archives
Abstract: Deeds consist of 12 bound and disbound volumes dating from 1850 to 1916, with the bulk dating from 1850 to 1868. There are
a small number of deeds created and executed prior to 1850 that were not recorded until 1850. Early records may include property
within present-day Imperial, Inyo, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties as the original boundary of San Diego County included
those areas.
Language of Material: Multiple languages
Access
The collection is open for research use. For access information, please contact the San Diego County Archives staff at archives@sdcounty.ca.gov.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item]. San Diego County Recorder Deeds. Collection Number: RCC/OFR08. San Diego County Archives
Acquisition Information
Transferred by San Diego County Recorder/County Clerk, 2021
Biography/Administrative History
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.
Scope and Content of Collection
Deeds consist of 12 bound and disbound volumes dating from 1850 to 1916, with the bulk dating from 1850 to 1868. There are
a small number of deeds created and executed prior to 1850 that were not recorded until 1850. Early records may include property
within present-day Imperial, Inyo, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties as the original boundary of San Diego County included
those areas.
Deeds are official records, defined by California Government Code section 27300 as “… permanent archival record of all instruments,
papers, and notices as accepted for recording by a county recorder” and are transcribed copies of original documents. They
serve as formal documentation of property transactions in San Diego County and include information such as the date of the
transaction and recording, the identities of the involved parties – sellers (grantors) and buyers (grantees) – the monetary
considerations exchanged, and a comprehensive description and location of the real property. Location is defined by referencing
specific lots and blocks on plat maps, which were surveyed by either a member of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers or a County
Surveyor. Notes on the spines of volumes A-E indicate they were translated from Spanish to English and rewritten into other
copies; volumes A-C were rewritten into Volume 0, while volumes D-E were rewritten into Volume 00. Records arranged in the
order they were received, chronologically by the date of recording.
Indexing Terms
Deeds
Land titles--Registration and transfer--California--San Diego County
Real property--California--San Diego County
San Diego County (Calif.)
Additional collection guides