Question 1

How do I secure a real-estate contract in St. Louis County?

Accepted Answer

Record a memorandum of contract in the St. Louis County 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 St. Louis County allow electronic recording of a memorandum?

Accepted Answer

St. Louis County 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 St. Louis County?

Accepted Answer

One flat price that includes the county fee ($46.00 flat state statutory fee (Minn. Stat. 357.18) per document, abstract or Torrens first / No per-page charge; $46 flat regardless of number of pages add'l (+$50 well disclosure certificate; additional statutory fees (state deed tax/mortgage registry tax) separate; separate Abstract vs Torrens fee schedules posted (PDF))), your online notary session, and tracking to a recording number.

Memorandum filing isn't available in Minnesota yet