If a Land Contract is Not Recorded

If a Land Contract was not filed with the county recorder, does that void the contract?

According to Ohio Revised Code Section 5313.02, the Ohio law regarding Land Contracts, subsection (C) states that “within twenty days after a land installment contract has been signed by both the vendor and the vendee, the vendor shall cause a copy of the contract to be recorded as provided in section 5301.25 of the Revised Code and a copy of the contract to be delivered to the county auditor.”

Thus, failing to record a Land Contract may cause issues with the ability to enforce the agreement.

As such, if the Seller does not record the Land Contract with the County Recorder within 20 days, the Buyer should record it to protect the Buyer’s interest.