Block - Tract of land that may be further subdivided into lots.
Book - Physical binder for documents or an on-line storage area for scanned document files kept at a local government office. For the Resolution Search, books are represented by unique identifiers that refer to these binders or on-line storage areas. Note that to avoid confusion throughout this Help File, "help book" is used to describe a book from this Help File.
City - Incorporated municipality with definite boundaries and legal powers set forth in a charter granted by the state. A city may also be referred to as a Village.
Comments - Explanatory information added to instruments with property descriptions.
Condominium - Building or complex in which units of property, such as apartments, are owned by individuals and common parts of the property, such as the grounds and building structure, are owned jointly by the unit owners.
Description - Explanatory information added to an instrument. A description may also be referred to as Remarks.
Document - Paper containing information. For the Resolution Search, most documents refer to legal papers (or the information regarding those papers) that pass through and possibly reside at a local government office.
File Number - A number used to identify documents. The format of a file number is usually the year separated by a dash then a number, for example 2001-00000100.
Filed Date - Date when instruments were entered in an index. This date may also be referred to as Date Filed, Recorded Date, or Date Recorded. When searching instruments within the Resolution Search, a date range may be entered to narrow the number of instruments found that contain filed dates between that range.
Firm Name - Name of a firm or business. Example is FIRST NATIONAL BANK.
First Name - Given name of an individual. Example is CHARLES of CHARLES ALLEN JONES JR.
GPIN - The Geographic Parcel Identification Number (GPIN) is a unique parcel identifier that is based on coordinate location of a parcel's center and that is used to index the records associated with a parcel. A GPIN includes sets of numbers (or characters) separated by dashes, for example 1111-22-3333-4444.
Images - Electronic documents that result from scanning paper documents. If images (that correspond to instruments) are available for viewing in the Resolution Search System, icons will appear in the Image columns of the Indexed Entries Web pages. Click those icons to view the images.
Index - Computer location of instruments. Index types specify what types of instruments are included within an index. For example, a General Land Records index contains instruments that pertain to land records (including such information as grantor and grantee names and property descriptions).
Index Types - Various types of indexes (such as land records, mortgages, military discharges) that contain instruments. Index types are identified with a 3-character mnemonic. (Examples may include GEN for General Land Records, MTG for Mortgages, and MIL for Military Discharges.)
Instrument Date - Secondary date associated with an instrument. This date sometimes refers to the actual date of the instrument.
Instruments - Entries that contain specific information from a document and that reside in an index.
Kind - Subtype (such as deed of trust for a Deeds kind group) associated with an instrument.
Kind Groups - Groups representing the types or kinds of instruments (such as Deeds or Mortgages) within an index.
Last Name - Surname of an individual. Example is JONES of CHARLES ALLEN JONES JR.
Lot - Fractional or odd-shaped tract of land. Multiple lots may be included in a block.
Middle Name - Middle name or names of an individual. Example is ALLEN of CHARLES ALLEN JONES JR.
Names - Individual or firm names stored as either Party One or Party Two in an index. For example, for a General Land Records index type, grantors are names stored as Party One and grantees are names stored as Party Two.
Original File Number - File number referring to the first (original) instrument of a series of instruments that are related. A good example of an original file number would be from the Mortgages index type. Additional documents (such as Satisfactions and Releases) are related to the original instrument but are filed with a new file number.
Original Book - Book identifier referring to the first (original) instrument of a series of instruments that are related. A good example of an original book would be from the Mortgages index type. Additional documents (such as Satisfactions and Releases) are related to the original instrument but are filed with a new book.
Original Page - Page identifier referring to the first (original) instrument of a series of instruments that are related. A good example of an original page would be from the Mortgages index type. Additional documents (such as Satisfactions and Releases) are related to the original instrument but are filed with a new page.
Page - Legal document (such as a deed-related document) added to books, usually numbered sequentially, and kept at a local government office. For the Resolution Search, pages are represented by unique qualifiers and refer to these legal documents. Note that to avoid confusion throughout this Help File, "Web page" is used to describe an Internet or Intranet page on your screen, not a legal document or its identifier. Also, "help page" is used to describe a page from this Help File.
Parcel - Tract or plot of land.
Party - Term used to designate the storage of names within an index. Party One usually designates where the first set of names found on a document is stored, and Party Two usually designates where the second set of names is stored. For example, for a General Land Records index type, grantors are listed as Party One and grantees are listed as Party Two. Some indexes contain only Party One. For example, for a Military Discharges index type, the name of the person being discharged from the military is stored as Party One.
Quarter Quarter Section - One-fourth of a quarter section, usually 40 acres, identified by "NE" for Northeast Quarter, "NW" for Northwest Quarter, "SE" for Southeast Quarter, and "SW" for Southwest Quarter.
Quarter Section - One-fourth of a section, usually 160 acres, identified by "NE" for Northeast Quarter, "NW" for Northwest Quarter, "SE" for Southeast Quarter, and "SW" for Southwest Quarter.
Range - Row or tier of townships running north to south. Ranges are numbered sequentially to the east and to the west of a specified boundary (or meridian) line.
Recorded Date - Refer to Filed Date.
Remarks - Refer to Description.
Scan Pages - Number of additional pages (such as attachments) associated with a document.
Section - Tract of land that is usually 1-mile square, contains 640 acres, and is 1/36 of a township. Sections are numbered 1 - 36.
Subdivision - Area of real estate composed of subdivided lots.
Title - Formal identifier attached to the name of an individual by virtue of office, rank, hereditary privilege, noble birth, or attainment or used as a mark of respect. Example is JR of CHARLES ALLEN JONES JR.
Township - Tract of land that is usually 6-miles square and contains 36 sections. Townships are usually numbered sequentially to the north and to the south of a base line.
Unit - Single dwelling of a condominium.
Village - Refer to City.
Web Page - Refer to Page.