Each parcel page in Hennepin County's property information search has a line that reads "Abstract or Torrens." The answer tells you where your ownership is written down, who may file papers against it and how a fake deed would be undone.
of property in Hennepin County is Torrens, the county says. The rest is abstract.
Source: Hennepin County, Resources for new homeowners, read October 25, 2026
Torrens is rare in the US. A 2021 class by the county's deputy examiner of titles names Minnesota, Hawaii and Massachusetts as the states that mainly use it1.
This guide covers both systems, for Minneapolis and every other city in the county. Our deed theft guide covers how these scams work nationwide.
What is the difference between Torrens and abstract property in Hennepin County?
Torrens land has been registered by order of a court or the Examiner of Titles, and the county keeps a certificate of title for it. Abstract land has no certificate, so the recorded papers are your evidence of ownership.
All Minnesota land starts out abstract. Registering it moves it into the Torrens system2.
The county says Torrens title "provides certainty of ownership and protection against loss of property by adverse possession"2. Adverse possession means claiming land by openly using it for many years.
- Deed
- The signed document that transfers a property to its new owner.
- Certificate of title
- The county's official record of a piece of Torrens land. It names the owner and lists the liens and other interests on it.
- Abstract property
- Land without a certificate. The deeds and other papers recorded over the years show who owns it.
- Recorder and Registrar of Titles
- One county office with two jobs. It records abstract documents and registers Torrens documents.
- Examiner of Titles
- The county office that must approve some Torrens filings. It also takes in Torrens court petitions.
- Power of attorney
- A signed paper that lets someone else act for you, such as signing a deed.
| Torrens | Abstract | |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of ownership | The certificate of title the county keeps | The chain of recorded deeds and papers |
| Who can file | The owner's own notarized documents. Harder ones, like many power of attorney deeds, need the Examiner's approval | Anyone, if the document has the parts the law requires |
| Adverse possession | Can't take the land from the registered owner | No such protection |
| Owner's free copy | Certificate of title, from recordsrequest@hennepin.us or 612-348-5139 | Deed, from recordsrequest@hennepin.us |
| Full list of liens | Shown on the certificate | Ask a lawyer or title company for a report |
| Court case to fix a bad filing | A petition called a proceeding subsequent | An action to determine adverse claims |
Sources: Hennepin County3,4,5,6,7, Hennepin County Law Library1, Minnesota Statutes 508.02 and 559.018,9. Read October 25, 2026.
The deputy examiner's handout sums up the abstract side in two lines: "System does not determine title. Records are merely evidence of title."1
How do you search Hennepin County property records for a Torrens or abstract home?
Look up your home in the county's free property information search, then follow the path for your title type. You can search by address, by the 13-digit property ID number (PID) on your tax statement, by addition name or on a map10.
It does not search by owner name. Open your property and look under "Tax parcel description." The last line says Abstract or Torrens.
The same page shows taxes due, the assessor's values and sales information10.
How to check your own records
Start from your parcel page in the county's property information search
- Email recordsrequest@hennepin.us with your address or PID, or call 612-348-5139, for a free copy of your certificate of title.
- Check the owner names and every lien and interest listed.
- Click "Recent recording history" to see filings from the past five years.
- Email recordsrequest@hennepin.us with your address or PID for a free copy of your deed.
- Click "Recent recording history" to see filings from the past five years.
- Search older records by name on the public computers in the Government Center skyway, room SK-0353.
- Ask a lawyer or title company for a report of current owners, interests and liens.
Based on Hennepin County's new homeowner, land title records and recording pages3,5,4, read October 25, 2026.
Not sure which one you have? The county says to call 612-348-5139 or email recordinginfo@hennepin.us11.
What does deed fraud look like on a Torrens or abstract home?
On abstract land, a forged deed with the required parts gets recorded like any other. On Torrens land, some filings need extra approval, but a forgery that gets through can be harder to undo once the home is sold again.
Recorded if the paperwork is complete
The county can only check that a document "contains the required elements in order to be recorded." After that, it "is permanent and can't be removed or altered"4. A forged deed stays in the record, so you need a lawyer to clear your title.
That is why speed matters on Torrens land. Minnesota law lets you go after the people behind a registration "procured by fraud." But that right comes "without prejudice to the rights of any innocent holder for value of a certificate of title"13.
So a buyer who paid in good faith keeps their rights. If that costs you your land through no fault of your own, you can sue for payment from the state's general fund14.
Deed fraud is uncommon here. KSTP reported in October 2026 that cases where someone claims a property that isn't theirs are "not an issue in Hennepin County." Suzanne Copeland, who directs the county's Land Information and Tax Service, said vacant homes and vacant land can be at risk15.
What deed fraud cases has Hennepin County seen?
Court records show a former owner forging a deed to take back a house, and a caregiver trying to deed a client's home to herself. The second case is a charge, not a conviction.
How do you fix a fake filing on a Hennepin County home?
Get your papers, report it and see a lawyer. If it goes to court, the kind of case depends on your title type. The county itself can't remove a recorded document4.
- Get the papers. Email recordsrequest@hennepin.us for a free copy of your deed or certificate of title. Copies of other recorded documents start at $1 a page by mail5.
- Report it to your city's police. Forging a deed is aggravated forgery in Minnesota, with up to 10 years in prison19. Fraud involving Torrens land is also its own felony20.
- Call a lawyer or title company, as the county advises3. For free help, the county points to Law Help MN, Volunteer Lawyers Network and court self-help centers4.
- Know which case fits. On abstract land, a court sorts out competing claims in an action to determine adverse claims, which Minnesota courts call a quiet title action9,21. On Torrens land, the case is a petition called a proceeding subsequent, filed through the Examiner of Titles7.
How do you reach the Hennepin County Recorder and other offices?
Call the Recorder and Registrar of Titles at 612-348-5139 for copies and recording questions. Questions about Torrens approvals and court petitions go to the Examiner of Titles.
| Office | Ask about | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Recorder and Registrar of Titles | Copies, recording, whether land is Torrens | recordsrequest@hennepin.us, recordinginfo@hennepin.us, 612-348-5139 |
| Examiner of Titles | Torrens approvals and court petitions | ex.titles@hennepin.us, 612-348-3191, Government Center A-703 |
| Property tax | Taxes, your PID, the property search | taxinfo@hennepin.us, 612-348-3011 |
| Assessor | Your home's value and class | assessor.ao@hennepin.us, 612-348-3046. Six cities, including Minneapolis, have their own |
| Minnesota Attorney General | Scams and consumer complaints | 651-296-3353 or 800-657-3787 |
Sources: Hennepin County5,11,7,10,22, Minnesota Attorney General12. Phone numbers and email addresses were checked against these pages on October 25, 2026.
Should you sign up for Hennepin County Property Watch?
Yes. It is free, and it emails you when a document tied to your property is recorded5. Copeland told KSTP the email comes "within one business day of a document being recorded on a property"15.
Only about 6,000 residents were using it in October 202615. You need an email address and your address or 13-digit PID5,23.
Go to the Property Watch sign-up page. Enter your PID as it appears on your tax statement, which the form recommends, or pick your address23.
Type your email twice, check both boxes and click Save. No confirmation email will come23.
Know its limits. It only emails you after a filing. The form says it "is not a substitute for a title examination or legal advice"23.
If your land isn't in a platted subdivision (a mapped set of numbered lots), you may also get emails about documents for land outside your parcel23. Other counties run similar alerts, and our county property fraud alert map compares them.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get a copy of my property deed in Hennepin County, MN?
Email recordsrequest@hennepin.us with your address or property ID number, and the county sends owners a free electronic copy of their deed or certificate of title3. Certified copies cost $10 through the county's Virtual Recorder site, plus a $3 service fee5. Our guide to finding the deed to your house explains what to check on it.
How can I find information about a property in Hennepin County by name?
The online property information search finds homes by address, property ID, addition name or map, not by owner name10. For a deed search by name, use the public computers in room SK-0353 on the Government Center's skyway level. The county also offers a limited free online index, RecordEASE Public Search; email ts.recordease.support@hennepin.us for a login5.
What are the recording fees for a deed in Hennepin County, MN?
On abstract land, recording a deed costs $46. On Torrens land, a deed that transfers ownership costs $46 for the first certificate cancelled and issued, and $40 for each extra one. Most sales also owe state deed tax of 0.34% of the price and a $5 conservation fee4.
Is Torrens title proof of ownership?
Is a property fraud alert legitimate?
Yes. Hennepin County's Property Watch is a real county service, and it is free to property owners5. It does not stop a filing; it emails you after one is recorded, so you can act fast.
Check your title type, then turn on the free alert
Look up your parcel, note whether it says Torrens or abstract, and ask for your free copy. Then sign up for Property Watch.
Sign up for Property WatchSee how Still My Home worksSources
- What Makes Torrens Property Unique? A Guide to Dealing with Registered Land (class handout), David Gates, Deputy Examiner of Titles, Hennepin County Law Library, June 17, 2021
- Land registration, Hennepin County Examiner of Titles, read October 25, 2026
- Resources for new homeowners, Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
- Record land title documents, Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
- Land title records access, Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
- Torrens document approval, Hennepin County Examiner of Titles, read October 25, 2026
- Proceedings subsequent, Hennepin County Examiner of Titles, read October 25, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes 508.02, registered land and adverse possession, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes
- Minnesota Statutes 559.01, action to determine adverse claims, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes
- Property information search, Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
- Examiner's directive request, Hennepin County Examiner of Titles, read October 25, 2026
- Real Estate Deed Solicitation Scams, Minnesota Attorney General, read October 25, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes 508.51, voluntary instrument, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes
- Minnesota Statutes 508.76, registrar's liability, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes
- Free program to help protect your property, KSTP-TV, October 15, 2026
- State v. Willis, No. A16-0275, Minnesota Court of Appeals, August 15, 2016
- Criminal complaint, Hennepin County District Court file 27-CR-26-25299, Minnesota Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, filed September 28, 2026
- Attorney General Ellison announces $3 million in Medicaid fraud charges against nine providers, Minnesota Attorney General, September 29, 2026
- Minnesota Statutes 609.625, aggravated forgery, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes
- Minnesota Statutes 508.80, fraudulent instrument or entry, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, 2025 Minnesota Statutes
- Mutua v. Deutsche Bank National Trust Co., No. A13-0498 (unpublished), Minnesota Court of Appeals, December 30, 2013
- Assessment, Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
- Hennepin County Property Watch (sign-up page), Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
- Pay property taxes, Hennepin County, read October 25, 2026
