Office of County Clerk/Register of Deeds
Exemptions to Transfer Tax
Effective January 1, 2021, due to COVID-19 the Kalamazoo County Clerk / Register of Deeds office is closed to the public upon further notice. Limited in-person services are available by appointment only; all other services can be completed online or by mail.
MCLA 207.505 Sec. 5 The following instruments and transfers shall be exempt from this act (Real Estate Transfer Tax):
- Instruments where the value of the consideration is less than $100.00
- Instruments evidencing contracts or transfers which are not to be performed wholly within this state insofar as such instruments include land lying outside of this state.
- Written instruments which this state is prohibited from taxing under the constitution or statutes of the United States.
- Instruments or writings given as security or any assignment or discharge thereof.
- Instruments evidencing leases, including oil and gas leases, or transfers of such leasehold interests.
- Instruments evidencing any interests which are assessable as personal property.
- Instruments evidencing the transfer of rights and interests for underground gas storage purposes.
- Instruments
- in which the grantor is the United States, the state, any political subdivision or municipality thereof, or officer thereof acting in his official capacity;
- given in foreclosure or in lieu of foreclosure of a loan made, guaranteed or insured by the United States, the state, any political subdivision or municipality thereof or officer thereof acting in his official capacity;
- given to the United States, the state, or 1 of their officers as grantee, pursuant to the terms or guarantee or insurance of a loan guaranteed or insured by the grantee.
- Conveyances from a husband or wife or husband and wife creating or disjoining a tenancy by entireties in the grantors or the grantor and his or her spouse.
- Judgments or orders of courts of record making or ordering transfers, except where a specigic monetary consideration is specified or ordered by the court therefore.
- Instruments used to straighten boundary lines where no monetary consideration is given.
- Instruments to confirm titles already vested in grantees, such as quitclaim deeds to correct flaws in titles.
- Land contracts whereby the legal title does not pass to the grantee until the total consideration specified in the contract has been paid.
- Instruments evidencing the transfer of mineral rights and interests.
- Instruments creating a joint tenancy between 2 or more persons where at least 1 of the persons already owned the property.
Contact Us
Meredith Place
Clerk / Register of Deeds
Email
Elizabeth Byrd
Chief Deputy Clerk / Register of Deeds
Email
Aneta Bailey
Deputy Register of Deeds
Email
Physical Address Show Map
201 West Kalamazoo Avenue
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
Phone: 269-383-8970
Fax: 269-384-8143
Office Hours *
8:00am - 4:30pm Monday - Friday
*The Clerk/Register of Deeds office is currently open by appointment only.