Ouachita Parish Property Records
Ouachita Parish property records are filed with the Clerk of Court in Monroe and maintained by the parish assessor, who runs a free online search at opassessor.com. Deeds, mortgages, conveyances, and other land documents for the parish are searchable through eClerks LA and in person at the Monroe courthouse. Ouachita Parish handles a high volume of property transactions as the regional hub of northeastern Louisiana. Both the clerk and assessor offices are key starting points for any property search here.
Ouachita Parish Quick Facts
Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court
The Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court records all property documents filed in the parish. The office is at 301 South Grand Street, Suite 104, in Monroe. It is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. All deeds, mortgage acts, releases, judgment liens, mineral leases, and other instruments affecting real property are indexed and kept here.
Under La. Civ. Code art. 3338, recording with the parish clerk is what makes a conveyance or mortgage effective against third parties. This means that if you buy or mortgage property in Ouachita Parish, the document must be filed with this clerk to protect your interest. Any buyer or lender who does a title search will check the clerk's index for your name and any prior claims.
The Clerk Connect platform provides subscription-based online access to Ouachita Parish records. This is useful for attorneys, title companies, and others who search the records regularly. For occasional searches, visiting the office in person is a good option. Bring the owner name, parcel number, or property address to speed things along.
Certified copies of recorded documents are available at the clerk's office. These carry the clerk's seal and are accepted by courts, lenders, and title companies. Call ahead to check current copy fees and what information you need to bring to make the search efficient.
| Address | 301 South Grand St., Suite 104, Monroe, LA 71201 |
|---|---|
| Phone | (318) 327-1444 |
| Fax | (318) 327-1462 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM |
Ouachita Parish Assessor
Stephanie Smith, AAS CLA, serves as the Ouachita Parish Assessor. Her office is at 300 St. John Street, Room 103, in Monroe. The assessor values all real and personal property in the parish for tax purposes. The values the assessor sets determine what property owners pay in taxes each year. The assessor also maintains parcel records showing ownership, property descriptions, and tax classifications.
The free online property search at opassessor.com is one of the best tools for Ouachita Parish real estate research. You can search by owner name, address, or parcel number at no cost. Results include current assessed values, property descriptions, acreage, and improvements. This is the first place to look when researching any property in the Monroe area.
Under La. Const. art. VII § 18, residential 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 site shows which class applies to each parcel, along with the applicable millage rates and tax bill totals where available.
The Ouachita Parish Assessor website shown below, from opassessor.com, provides the free property search tool for the parish.
Use the free search at opassessor.com to find parcel data, ownership records, and assessed values for any Ouachita Parish property.
| Assessor | Stephanie Smith, AAS CLA |
|---|---|
| Address | 300 St. John St., Room 103, Monroe, LA 71201 |
| Mailing Address | P.O. Box 1127, Monroe, LA 71210-1127 |
| Phone | (318) 327-1300 |
| Fax | (318) 327-1311 |
| Website | opassessor.com |
Clerk Connect for Ouachita Parish Records
Clerk Connect is a subscription service that gives online access to recorded documents from many Louisiana parishes, including Ouachita. Title companies, attorneys, and mortgage professionals use it to search conveyance and mortgage records remotely. You can search by name or instrument number and view digitized copies of recorded acts.
The image below is from the Clerk Connect portal, which is one of the main platforms for searching Ouachita Parish recorded instruments online.
Visit clerkconnect.com to set up a subscription account and search Ouachita Parish deeds, mortgages, and other recorded documents online.
The eClerks LA statewide portal is another option. It aggregates records from participating Louisiana parishes. Check that site to see if Ouachita Parish is covered and what document types and date ranges are available. Some users prefer eClerks LA over Clerk Connect depending on the search they are doing.
Property Record Types in Ouachita Parish
Ouachita Parish is one of the more active property markets in northern Louisiana. Many documents are filed with the clerk each week. Acts of sale transfer ownership when property is bought or sold. Mortgage acts secure home loans and commercial financing. When a loan is paid off, the lender records a release or cancellation. These are the most common filings, but the clerk records many other types too.
Mineral leases and royalty transfers are common in the northeastern Louisiana region. Judgment liens from court cases can attach to real property and must be found in a title search. Servitudes and right-of-way agreements affect how land can be used. Lis pendens notices signal that a lawsuit is pending that could affect the property.
Common record types filed in Ouachita Parish include:
- Acts of sale and warranty deeds
- Mortgage acts and promissory note pledges
- Mortgage releases and cancellations
- Judgment liens and writs of fieri facias
- Mineral leases and royalty assignments
- Servitudes and right-of-way grants
- Succession and judgment of possession transfers
- Lis pendens and seizure notices
- Tax sale certificates and redemption acts
All of these are public records under La. R.S. 44:1. Anyone can request and view them. The clerk charges per-page copy fees. Certified copies cost more than plain copies. Contact the clerk's office for the current fee schedule.
Property Taxes in Ouachita Parish
The Ouachita Parish Sheriff collects property taxes. The assessor sets the values; the sheriff sends bills and handles collections. Taxes are due by December 31 each year. If taxes go unpaid, interest and penalties begin to add up. Prolonged nonpayment can result in a tax sale, where the property is offered to pay the debt.
The Louisiana Tax Commission oversees assessors statewide and publishes assessment rolls for each parish. These rolls are public and list every parcel, its assessed value, and the owner of record. You can use the commission's data to verify Ouachita Parish assessment figures and track changes in value over time.
If you think your property is assessed too high, start by talking to the assessor's office. You can also review your parcel on opassessor.com and compare it to similar properties. If you and the assessor still disagree after the informal meeting, you can file a formal appeal with the Louisiana Tax Commission. Act quickly because deadlines are firm.
Cities in Ouachita Parish
Monroe is the parish seat and the largest city in Ouachita Parish. All property in Monroe and the surrounding areas files through the Ouachita Parish Clerk of Court in Monroe.
Nearby Parishes
These parishes border or lie near Ouachita Parish. Property near a parish line may have documents recorded in more than one clerk's office.