Daggett County Deed Records
Daggett County deed records document all recorded property transfers, mortgages, liens, and easements in Utah's least populous county. Established in 1919 and named for Ellsworth Daggett, the first surveyor general of Utah, the county is headquartered in Manila near the Flaming Gorge Reservoir. The Daggett County Recorder's Office is the official keeper of these land records. Anyone conducting property research, completing a real estate transaction, or tracing a chain of title in Daggett County must work through these recorded documents. They are part of the public record and available to anyone under Utah law.
Daggett County Quick Facts
Daggett County Recorder's Office
The Daggett County Recorder's Office in Manila maintains all property records for this rural northeastern Utah county. Staff record deeds, mortgages, and liens. They can provide copies of recorded documents upon request. Recording services are available during regular business hours. Because Daggett County is the least populous county in Utah, the recorder's office is a small operation with a focused staff who handle all document recording needs for the county.
To record a document in Daggett County, you must comply with Utah's standard recording requirements. The document must have original signatures with a notary acknowledgment. It must include a complete legal description and the parcel serial number. It must include a grantee mailing address. Under Utah Code § 57-3-101, every document affecting real property in Daggett County must be filed with the county recorder to be legally enforceable against third parties.
Utah uses a race-notice recording system. A buyer who records first and has no knowledge of an earlier unrecorded deed takes priority under § 57-3-103. This means that prompt recording of any property document is critical in Daggett County, just as it is everywhere else in Utah.
| Address | 95 North 1st West, Manila, UT 84046 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (435) 784-3210 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, regular business hours |
Deed Records and Federal Land in Daggett County
A large portion of Daggett County is federal public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service. This means that federal land patents and BLM records play an outsized role in Daggett County's chain of title history. The county's private land parcels are often islands of private ownership within a much larger sea of public land. Understanding how a parcel came into private ownership almost always requires going back to the original federal patent.
The Bureau of Land Management Utah office maintains federal land patent records, mineral leases, and right-of-way grants for Daggett County. These records are the starting point for any chain of title that begins with a federal land disposal. Homestead entries, desert land entries, and timber claims were all used to transfer federal land to private ownership in northeastern Utah during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Locating the original patent establishes the first link in the chain, after which the Daggett County Recorder's deed records carry the ownership history forward.
Researchers tracing property ownership in Daggett County should consult both BLM records and the county deed records index to build a complete picture of title history.
BLM Utah records provide the foundation for many Daggett County deed records chains, reflecting the county's predominantly public land character and the relatively small amount of private land within its borders.
Note: Right-of-way agreements and easements across BLM land in Daggett County may be recorded with both the county recorder and the BLM. Check both sources when researching easements that cross public and private land boundaries.
Water Rights and Deed Records in Daggett County
Water rights are closely tied to property ownership in Daggett County. The county sits in the upper Green River watershed and has a long history of agricultural water use tied to ranching operations. When property changes hands in rural Daggett County, water rights appurtenant to the land often transfer with the deed. Understanding the water rights associated with a parcel is a key part of any thorough property research effort here.
The Utah Division of Water Rights maintains records of adjudicated water rights for Daggett County and all other counties in Utah. These records are separate from deed records but are closely related to property ownership in agricultural settings. A buyer purchasing rural land in Daggett County should verify both the deed records at the county recorder and the water right status at the Division of Water Rights before closing. Changes in property ownership do not automatically transfer water rights in all cases, and the Division of Water Rights must be notified of changes separately.
Water right records from the Utah Division of Water Rights are an essential companion to deed records for anyone buying or researching rural property in Daggett County, where water is both scarce and legally complex.
Types of Property Documents in Daggett County
Daggett County deed records include all the standard property document types found throughout Utah. Warranty deeds are used in arm's-length real estate sales. The seller warrants good title and agrees to defend against future claims. Quitclaim deeds are common in family transfers and corrections to prior deed records, where the parties know each other and do not need a title warranty from the grantor.
Trust deeds are the standard mortgage instrument in Utah. A borrower in Daggett County who finances real property gives the lender a trust deed, which transfers title to a trustee as security for the loan. When the debt is paid in full, the lender must record a deed of reconveyance under § 57-1-40 to return clear title to the borrower. Failing to record the reconveyance leaves a cloud on the title that will complicate any future sale or refinance.
Easements are common in Daggett County given the intermingled public and private land ownership patterns. Road easements, utility easements, and irrigation easements are recorded to give notice to all subsequent owners of the land. Mechanic's liens and judgment liens also appear in the Daggett County deed records index and must be resolved before a clear title can pass to a new buyer.
Under § 57-3-102, every document recorded with the Daggett County Recorder imparts legal notice to the world of its contents. This is the foundation of Utah's recording system and applies equally in small rural counties like Daggett as it does in larger urban counties.
Researching Daggett County Deed Records
Because Daggett County does not currently offer an online deed records portal, all in-depth research requires either a visit to the recorder's office in Manila or a written or phone request for document copies. Planning your research in advance saves time. Knowing the grantor or grantee name, the approximate date of the transaction, or the parcel number will help staff locate records quickly.
The Utah GIS Parcel Data portal includes Daggett County parcels and can help you identify a parcel number before contacting the recorder. Once you have the parcel number or legal description, searching the deed records index becomes much more efficient. The GIS data shows parcel boundaries relative to roads and geographic features, which helps orient researchers unfamiliar with Daggett County's land patterns.
The Utah State Archives can provide context for older property research and may hold supplementary records for Daggett County's government activities since 1919. The Utah Tax Commission maintains statewide property tax assessment data that can complement deed record research. For questions about Daggett County property values and assessments, the county assessor at (435) 784-3210 handles both valuation records and agricultural property assessments common to this rural county.
Under GRAMA § 63G-2-102, deed records maintained by the Daggett County Recorder are classified as public records. Any person may request access to them. The county is required to respond to public records requests in a reasonable time and to provide copies for a reasonable fee. This means that researchers who cannot travel to Manila can still obtain deed records from Daggett County by submitting a written request to the recorder's office.
Note: Daggett County is a small operation. Call ahead before visiting to confirm current hours, staffing, and any special procedures for document requests or recordings.
Daggett County Property Research Tips
Working with deed records in a small rural county like Daggett requires some additional preparation compared to larger Utah counties. The recorder's office serves a very small population, so staff resources are limited. Prepare your research questions in advance. Write down the names, dates, and parcel information you need before you call or visit. This helps staff assist you efficiently.
Chain of title research in Daggett County often spans multiple record systems. You may need to start with BLM patent records, then move to county deed records, and also check the Division of Water Rights if water is attached to the property. All three sets of records are public under applicable Utah and federal law. The Utah Code Title 57 framework governs how county deed records work, while federal land records are governed by separate federal statutes and regulations.
Daggett County's assessor and recorder share the same address at 95 North 1st West in Manila. This means you can often address both deed records questions and assessment questions in a single visit. Staff can help you connect the recorded deed to the current assessed parcel and confirm that the ownership information in the assessor's files matches what is in the deed records index.
Nearby Counties with Deed Records
Daggett County is bordered by Uintah, Duchesne, and Rich counties in Utah. If a property sits near a county boundary, checking neighboring recorders' offices may be necessary to complete your research.