Loving County Property Records

Loving County property records are kept by the County Clerk in Mentone, Texas, and include deeds, liens, leases, mortgages, and other recorded land instruments dating back to 1854. Loving County is the least populous county in the United States, but the County Clerk's office maintains complete property records that can be searched online through the EagleWeb platform or through TexasFile, as well as in person at the courthouse.

Loving County Clerk Records

The Loving County Clerk is located at 100 Bell St, Mentone, TX 79754. The mailing address is P.O. Box 194, Mentone, TX 79754. You can reach the office by phone at (432) 377-2441 or (432) 309-9500 x6, and by fax at (432) 377-2701. The office keeps standard business hours, Monday through Friday.

Property records in Loving County go back to 1854, making the archive one of the more complete small-county sets in West Texas. The county was organized in 1887, then reorganized in 1931 in its current form. Records from the earliest period are indexed and can be accessed through the EagleWeb platform. You can search by grantor or grantee name, instrument number, book and volume, or page. No major courthouse disasters have affected the archive, so the records are largely intact from the earliest date forward.

The county also maintains an official website at lovingcountyanddistrictclerk.com where additional contact information and filing procedures are listed. For remote requests, written submissions can be faxed to 432-789-2194 or mailed to the P.O. Box address above.

Document types recorded with the Loving County Clerk include warranty deeds, deeds of trust, releases, mortgages, mineral leases, oil and gas leases, easements, liens, and plat maps. Given the county's location in the Permian Basin, oil and gas lease records are well represented throughout the archive. Mineral ownership documents are particularly common here given the region's energy production history.

Search Loving County Property Records Online

Two main platforms let you search Loving County property records from outside the courthouse. The first is the EagleWeb platform, which provides direct online access to the county clerk's index and document images. Records available through EagleWeb go back to January 1, 1854. You can search by grantor or grantee name, instrument number, or book and page reference.

The second platform is TexasFile. Visit texasfile.com to search the index at no charge. Downloading document images costs a per-page fee or requires a subscription. TexasFile covers some Loving County records from 1905 forward as well as the broader instrument index. PDF downloads are available for most documents. Watermarked preview images let you confirm a document before purchasing a full copy.

Because Loving County has fewer than 100 permanent residents, the total volume of recorded instruments is much lower than in larger counties. That actually makes searching easier. You won't wade through pages of name matches. A simple grantor or grantee name search usually returns a short, manageable list. For older records from the 1800s, the EagleWeb platform's historical index is your best starting point.

Note: Texas Property Code Section 12.001 sets the recording requirements that apply to all instruments filed with county clerks across Texas.

Loving County Appraisal District

The Loving County Appraisal District handles property valuations for tax purposes. The office is located at 100 Bell St., Mentone, TX 79754, the same building as the County Clerk. You can reach the appraisal district at (432) 377-2411, fax (432) 377-2025.

The appraisal district sets taxable values for all real property in Loving County, including land, mineral interests, oil and gas production facilities, and any improvements. Because the county has very few residential parcels, the majority of appraisal work involves oil and gas properties and undeveloped rangeland. Property owners can contact the office to review their assessed values, apply for exemptions, or file a protest before the appraisal review board.

Exemptions available through the appraisal district include homestead, over-65, disability, and disabled veteran exemptions. Agricultural use valuation (1-d-1) may apply to ranch land. Mineral interests and production properties are valued using standard Texas appraisal methods under the Texas Property Tax Code.

Property Tax Records in Loving County

Texas has no state property tax. Local taxing units set their own rates. In Loving County, the extremely small population means the tax base is dominated by oil and gas production values rather than residential or commercial property. The county, school district, and any other local taxing entities each set their own rates and bill property owners based on the appraisal district's values.

The Texas Comptroller's Property Tax Assistance Division monitors appraisal district compliance across the state. You can find statewide resources, forms, and guidance at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/. The site includes exemption forms, protest procedures, and the biennial Property Value Study results for each school district in Texas.

Property tax collection in Loving County is handled through the Tax Assessor-Collector office at the same courthouse address. Questions about tax bills, payment schedules, or delinquent taxes should go to (432) 377-2411.

Historical Property Records and Land Grants

Loving County's property records stretch back to 1854, covering a period before the county was formally organized. The Texas General Land Office maintains historical land grant records for the entire state, including the Permian Basin region. The GLO's land grant database at glo.texas.gov contains over 800,000 records from Spanish, Mexican, and Republic of Texas periods.

For very early Loving County land records, the GLO surname index is a useful tool. It lists grantees and patentees alphabetically and links to scanned land grant files. Each file typically includes the survey, field notes, and patent documentation. Records in this database are free to view online, though some files may only be available for onsite review at the GLO in Austin if they haven't yet been digitized.

The Texas State Law Library at guides.sll.texas.gov also provides research guides on Texas property law, including guidance on reading historical deed instruments, interpreting legal descriptions, and understanding mineral rights reservations. These guides are free and useful for anyone doing title research in older West Texas counties.

Note: When researching Loving County mineral records, keep in mind that surface and mineral ownership can differ. Always check both deed records and oil and gas lease indexes to get a complete picture of property interests.

Recording a Document in Loving County

To record a property document with the Loving County Clerk, you can submit in person at 100 Bell St., Mentone, or by mail to P.O. Box 194, Mentone, TX 79754. Fax submissions can go to 432-789-2194. The office also accepts e-recording through authorized vendors, which allows title companies and law offices to submit documents digitally without traveling to the courthouse.

Recording fees in Loving County follow the standard Texas schedule. The first page costs $26, and each additional page adds $4. If more than five names are indexed in the document, each additional name costs $0.25. These fees cover the Records Management Fee, Archive Fee, and Security Fee that are built into the base recording cost under Texas law.

Documents must meet certain format requirements before they can be accepted for recording. Under Texas Property Code Section 11.001, instruments must contain the names of the parties, a legal description of the property, and a proper acknowledgment. Documents that don't meet these requirements may be rejected or returned for correction. The county clerk's office can let you know what is needed before you submit.

• Warranty deeds and special warranty deeds
• Deeds of trust and releases of lien
• Oil and gas leases and mineral deeds
• Federal and state tax liens
• Mechanic's and materialman's liens
• Plat maps and subdivision surveys
• Assumed name (DBA) certificates

Texas Public Information Act and Property Records

Property records recorded with the Loving County Clerk are public records. Anyone can request access under the Texas Public Information Act, found at Texas Government Code Chapter 552. Governmental bodies must respond to records requests promptly, generally within ten business days.

If a request involves a large volume of documents or requires research time, the county may notify you of the expected completion date. Copy costs are set by state law and local fee schedules. Some specific items, such as social security numbers or certain financial account details, are redacted from public records under Texas Property Code Section 11.008(k).

If you believe a county office has improperly withheld records, you can file a complaint with the Texas Attorney General's Open Records Division. The OAG issues binding opinions on whether specific records must be disclosed. For most property records, including deeds, liens, and appraisal data, there is no basis for withholding.

Nearby Counties

Property records are filed in the county where the land is located. Make sure you search the right county for your parcel.