A few commonly asked questions we receive are below, but should you have any additional questions please feel free to contact us.
All marriage documents created in the County Clerk’s office will use an individual’s maiden, or pre-marriage name. After recording the post-ceremony documentation, the certified copy issued by our office will be taken to Social Security Administration (SSA) and New Mexico Motor Vehicle Department (MVD) to effect marital name changes
A lien is a restriction placed on the transfer of real property from one owner to another until a recorded outstanding charge is paid. New Mexico law allows anyone to put a lien on a person or their property for a fee. The County Clerk does not accept payment for any liens or adjudicate any civil conflicts regarding liens. To remove a lien, a creditor must file documentation with our office to do so, or the alleged debtor (property owner) may petition the District Court to have the lien removed from public record.
Property owned by deceased individuals must be probated, unless documentation was filed prior to a property owner’s death effecting an automatic transfer (i.e. joint tenancy, transfer on death, living trust, etc.).
The Probate Court will assign an estate administrator who may transfer property ownership with a new deed upon completion of the court process. Please be aware that the County Clerk’s office is forbidden from providing any kind of legal advice, including advising on probate avoidance or the drafting of any legal documents.
When a mortgage or other financial obligation associated with real property is fully paid, a lender will record a “release” or “satisfaction” document with our office, which will then be sent to the borrower. Property owners may purchase copies of the release from our office.
Conversely, the deed, a.k.a. title, is usually transferred to the new owner upon acquisition of the property, even when the purchase is being financed.
After the document is recorded it will be forwarded to the Assessor’s Office for processing. The Assessor’s Office may be contacted at assessors@sandovalcountynm.gov or (505) 867-7562 to verify the specified timeframe the title transfer may take to occur.
A name change does not automatically occur when an individual is married. The spouse seeking a name change must submit the certified record of marriage issued by our office to the Social Security Administration and the Motor Vehicle Division to execute a change of name.