# Find the Owner of a Property: Who Owns This Land in NC | FOUND How to find the owner of record of land in North Carolina from county tax records and deeds, and why an LLC, a trust, or an estate can hide the person. Canonical: https://lotsfound.com/insights/find-owner-of-property/ ## How to find the owner of a property Look up the parcel in the county tax records or GIS map, then read the most recent deed at the register of deeds. That gives you the owner of record. An LLC, a trust, or an estate can stand between that record and the person who decides. ## How to find the owner of a property You find the owner of a property in North Carolina in two steps. First, look up the parcel in the county tax records or the county GIS map. Second, read the most recent deed at the register of deeds in the county where the land lies. Both are public records. The deed names the owner of record. ## What an owner of record is The owner of record is the person or entity that holds title according to the recorded documents. Usually that is the grantee in the most recent deed. The tax record also lists an owner, but for billing. It can lag behind a sale, a death, or a transfer into a company. When the tax record and the deed disagree, the deed controls, and a real estate attorney's title search confirms the answer. ## Search the county tax and GIS records The county tax and GIS records give the fastest answer. Search by address, by parcel number, or by clicking the parcel on the county map. The tax record usually shows these items. - The owner name and mailing address. - The deed book and page. - The last sale date and recorded price. - The assessed value and the acreage. A mailing address that differs from the property address means the owner receives mail elsewhere. See [why research starts with county tax records](/insights/county-records-first/). ## Read the deed at the register of deeds The deed confirms who holds title and how. Search the register's index by the book and page from the tax record, or by name in the grantor and grantee index. The deed names the grantee, describes the land, and often cites a plat. ## When an LLC or trust holds the land An LLC or a trust can hold title while the person behind it stays out of the record. For an LLC, search the North Carolina Secretary of State business registry. It shows the registered agent, the principal office, and often a company official. It may not show who owns the company. For a trust, the deed usually names the trustee. The trust agreement is rarely recorded, so the beneficiaries stay private. In both cases, the registered agent or the trustee is the recorded point of contact. ## Heirs and estates When an owner dies, title passes to heirs or to the people a will names, and the record often trails behind. The tax record may still show the deceased owner, or a name followed by "heirs." The estate file, if one exists, sits with the clerk of superior court in the county. It can hold the will and name the personal representative. Land held by several heirs in undivided shares is common in rural North Carolina. A sale can need every heir's signature or a court process. A real estate attorney answers who can sign. ## What public records do not show Public records show who holds title, not who will sell. They do not show these things. - Unrecorded contracts, options, and leases. - The owner's phone number or email. - The people who own an LLC. - Heirs who never opened an estate. - Whether the owner wants to sell. We read the owner of record to confirm which land belongs to which holder, and we publish no names. See [parcel and boundary records](/what-we-check/parcels-and-boundaries/) and [how we work with landowners](/who-we-serve/landowners/). When a site needs several neighbors, see [land assemblage](/insights/what-is-land-assemblage/). ## Questions ### Is property ownership public in North Carolina? Yes. Deeds at the register of deeds and county tax records are public records. Many counties put both online. ### Why does the tax record show a different owner than the deed? The tax office updates its records on its own schedule, and some transfers reach it late. The recorded deed controls, and a title search by a real estate attorney confirms the owner. ### How do I contact the owner of a property? Write to the mailing address on the tax record. For an LLC, write to the registered agent. For an estate, the personal representative or the estate's attorney is the contact. Transactions are handled through a licensed North Carolina real estate brokerage.