A valid deed must be properly executed in order to legally transfer title to real property. Ohio's property code lists several "statutory" deed forms. A deed that complies with the relevant provision in the property code is a valid deed in Ohio. To put the public on notice of any property transfer, the deed should be filed with the property records office of the county. The Cuyahoga County property records office is located in Cleveland, Ohio.
Step 1
Review the contents of the deed and check it against Ohio's statutory quitclaim deed form to ensure that it complies with the applicable property code regarding quitclaim deeds. Under section 5302.11 of the Ohio Code, quitclaim deeds list the marital status of the grantor, describes the land and any encumbrances or reservations in the land, references any prior filings by listing volume and page number of the property records book and lists the date the deed was executed. It must be signed by the grantor.
Step 2
Contact the Cuyahoga County Recorder and ask about the current filing fees. Count the number of pages in your quitclaim. The number of pages determines the total filing fee. In December 2010, Cuyahoga charged $28 for deeds that were two pages or less.
Step 3
Send or hand-deliver an original copy of the deed to Cuyahoga County Recorder office. Include the required filing fee. The office will file the deed, stamp it and send you back the stamped, original copy.
The office is located at 1219 Ontario Street in Cleveland, Ohio. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. The cutoff time for filing a document is 4:00 p.m.