Search Morehouse Parish Property Records
Morehouse Parish property records are maintained by the Clerk of Court in Bastrop and the parish assessor, who provides a free online search tool at mpassess.org. You can find deeds, mortgages, conveyances, and other land documents recorded in the parish either through the assessor's portal or through eClerks LA. Visiting the clerk's office in person at the Morehouse Parish Courthouse is also an option for those who need certified copies or want to search older instruments that may not be fully indexed online.
Morehouse Parish Quick Facts
Morehouse Parish Clerk of Court
The Clerk of Court in Bastrop holds all recorded property documents for Morehouse Parish. This includes acts of sale, mortgage acts, releases, judgment liens, and any other instrument that affects title to real property. Under La. Civ. Code art. 3338, recording is what makes these documents binding against third parties. If it is not recorded, it does not count in a title search.
The clerk's office accepts documents for filing and keeps an index by grantor and grantee name. You can request searches in person. Staff can pull records and make copies for you. Certified copies are available and carry the clerk's official seal. Title companies and attorneys routinely use this office for chain-of-title research in Morehouse Parish.
The statewide eClerks LA portal may offer online access to some Morehouse Parish recorded documents. Check that site to see what years are covered before making a trip to Bastrop. For older records or anything not yet digitized, you will need to visit in person.
| Address | 100 East Madison Ave., Bastrop, LA 71220 |
|---|---|
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 1543, Bastrop, LA 71220 |
| Phone | (318) 281-3343 |
| Fax | (318) 281-3775 |
Morehouse Parish Assessor
Carol Lord, CLA, serves as the Morehouse Parish Assessor. Her office is located on East Jefferson Avenue in Bastrop, just a short walk from the courthouse. The assessor's primary job is to place fair market values on all taxable property in the parish each year. These values drive the tax bills sent to property owners.
The assessor website at mpassess.org provides a free Real Property Search that anyone can use. This is one of the better online tools for a rural Louisiana parish. You can search by owner name, parcel number, or address. Results show the current assessed value, property description, and tax class. This is a good starting point before contacting the clerk for deed copies.
Under La. Const. art. VII § 18, homestead property is assessed at 10% of fair market value. Commercial property is assessed at 15%. Other property types may be assessed at 25%. The assessor's records reflect these classifications for every parcel on file.
The Morehouse Parish Assessor website is shown below. It features the free property search tool that lets you look up parcels without calling the office.
Visit mpassess.org to run a free search and find current assessment data for any parcel in the parish.
| Assessor | Carol Lord, CLA |
|---|---|
| Address | 106 East Jefferson Ave., Bastrop, LA 71220 |
| Phone | (318) 281-1802 |
| Fax | (318) 281-8601 |
| Website | mpassess.org |
Online Tools for Morehouse Parish Records
Beyond the assessor's free search, a couple of statewide platforms cover Morehouse Parish records. The eClerks LA system connects users to clerk of court records from parishes across Louisiana. Morehouse Parish may be included; check the site to confirm coverage and the date range available.
The Louisiana Tax Commission website hosts parish assessment rolls statewide. These rolls are public and list parcel data, owner names, and assessed values as of January 1 each year. If you need historical value data or want to compare what the assessor has on file, the commission's site is a good resource.
For deed and mortgage documents specifically, the clerk's office in Bastrop is your primary source. If you want a copy of an act of sale or need to check for liens against a parcel, a visit to the courthouse or a call to the clerk's office is the surest route. Bring the property address, owner name, or parcel identification number to speed things up.
Property Record Types in Morehouse Parish
The Morehouse Parish Clerk of Court records many types of property instruments. Each type serves a different purpose and affects title in different ways. Knowing what you need before you search saves time at the counter.
Acts of sale transfer ownership. When someone buys or sells land in Morehouse Parish, the notarized act of sale gets recorded with the clerk. The grantor-grantee index lets you trace ownership backward and forward. Mortgage acts secure loans against the property. When a loan is paid off, the lender records a release or cancellation. Both of these should appear in a thorough title search.
Common record types filed in Morehouse Parish include:
- Acts of sale and dation en paiement
- Mortgage acts and promissory note pledges
- Mortgage cancellations and releases
- Judgment liens and writs
- Mineral leases and royalty transfers
- Servitudes and pipeline right-of-way grants
- Succession judgment of possession transfers
- Lis pendens and seizure notices
Under La. R.S. 44:1, all recorded documents are public records. Any person can view or copy them. The clerk charges a per-page fee for printed copies. Certified copies cost a bit more. Check with the office for the current fee schedule before your visit.
Property Taxes in Morehouse Parish
Property taxes in Morehouse Parish are billed by the sheriff's office, which serves as the tax collector. The assessor sets the values; the sheriff sends the bills and collects payment. Tax bills go out in the fall. The deadline to pay without penalty is December 31 each year.
If taxes are not paid, the state and parish can sell the property at a tax sale. The Louisiana Tax Commission oversees this process statewide. Tax sale certificates are also recorded with the clerk and become part of the property's chain of title. Redemption periods apply after a tax sale, so check the clerk's records if you are buying property that has tax sale history.
The assessor's office can tell you the current assessed value and the applicable millage rates. You can also contest a valuation if you believe it is too high. The first step is talking to the assessor directly. If you still disagree, you can file a formal appeal with the Louisiana Tax Commission. Deadlines are strict, so don't wait.
Nearby Parishes
These parishes are close to Morehouse Parish. If you are searching for property near a parish boundary, you may need to check more than one clerk's office.