recorder's office

By Paul Grabowicz   ·   Updated Nov 18, 2012   ·   Print Print

Document Abbreviations

Each county recorder's office uses slightly different abbreviations for the records listed in its index of recorded documents.

Thus a deed of trust, which is a mortgage loan, might be abbreviated as "d tr" at one recorder's office, “dd trust” at another, "deed tr" at another, or "tr dd" at yet another recorder's office.

Here’s a chart listing in alphabetical order abbreviations commonly used by recorder’s offices, along with the names of the documents they stand for and a quick description of each type of document.

These are documents a reporter most likely will be interested in looking up at a recorder’s office.

Abbreviation

Full Name of Document

Description of Document

abst judg

abstract of judgment

summary of ruling in civil court case

assign d tr

assignment of deed of trust

bank sells a mortgage loan to another bank
(see "deed of trust" below)

cnc not def

cancellation of notice of default

notice of delinquent mortgage loan cancelled, often because mortgage payment was made
(see “notice of default” below)

cnc tt sale

cancellation of trustee’s sale

foreclosure sale cancelled
(see “notice of trustee’s sale” below)

deed

property deed

sale of a piece of property

d tr

deed of trust

mortgage loan

d tr w rnts

deed of trust with rents

mortgage loan in which the lender also gets rental payments on the property
(essentially the same as “deed of trust” above)

grant deed

grant deed

sale of a piece of property
(essentially the same as “deed” above)

mech lien

mechanic’s lien

contractor's notice claiming failure by the property owner to pay for work performed

not def

notice of default

notice of failure to make mortgage payments (see “deed of trust” above)

not sale liq lic

notice of sale of liquor license

liquor license transferred to new establishment

not tt sale

notice of trustee’s sale

foreclosure sale imminent on delinquent mortgage loan (see “notice of default” above)

ptp

partnership

papers for partnership filed

recon

reconveyance

mortgage loan paid off
(see “deed of trust” above)

rel tax lien

release of tax lien

back tax payments made
(see “tax lien” below)

rel mech lien

release of mechanic’s lien

dispute resolved with contractor over payment for work performed, thus removing lien on property
(see “mechanic’s lien” above)

tax lien

tax lien

back taxes owed to a government taxing agency

tt sale

trustee's sale

foreclosure on mortgage loan
(see “notice of tt sale” above)

Filed under: Public Records