Question 1

How do I secure a real-estate contract in Champaign?

Accepted Answer

Record a memorandum of contract in the Champaign real-property records. It puts the public on notice of your equitable interest so the seller can’t cleanly sell to someone else. Notarized online, recorded with the county, and returned to you.

Question 2

Does Champaign allow electronic recording of a memorandum?

Accepted Answer

Champaign supports electronic recording (via Simplifile, CSC, ePN, Indecomm), so a compliant memorandum can be on record quickly.

Question 3

What does it cost to record a memorandum in Champaign?

Accepted Answer

One flat price that includes the county fee ($70.00 standard document (deeds, mortgages, releases) — no additional page charge first / No per-page charge for standard docs; nonconforming documents $82.00 flat add'l (+Plat recording $108.00 flat; UCC filings $33.00; releases $13.00; federal tax liens/releases $18.00; certified copies $12.00 first 4 pages + $1.00/additional page)), your online notary session, and tracking to a recording number.

Memorandum filing isn't available in Illinois yet