Mission Statement
To fulfill the legally mandated functions of the Assessor-Recorder in an accurate, timely, and efficient manner.
Department Overview
The Assessor’s Office is responsible for locating, identifying, and valuing all taxable property in the County of Santa Cruz. The Assessor directs the performance and coordination of all assessment activities, maintains contacts with legislators and state regulatory bodies, and participates in the rule making, standards development, and legislative activities of the California Assessors' Association. The Assessor's Office is organized into two major program areas: valuation and administration.
The Recorder's Office maintains a perpetual record of real property transactions and vital statistics. Functions of the department include recording real property records such as deeds, deeds of trust, reconveyances, notices of completion, financing documents, maps, state and federal tax liens, and mechanics liens. Documents are indexed, scanned and microfilmed as a permanent record and stored in a temperature-controlled environment. The department collects recording fees, document transfer tax on transfers of real property and copy fees for providing copies of recorded documents. Records are open for public inspection and staff provides assistance to the public in searching recorded transactions.