Allen County, Ohio, houses two cities, 12 townships, and seven villages, with Lima as its county seat. In Allen County, OH, property records are a public database that details property ownership. They play a decisive role in maintaining property rights and settling disputes.

Analyzing recent Allen County property records allows one to distinguish a median home value of $134,784 and a median rent cost of $856. These numbers directly compare with the county's median household income of $67,480. The records also reveal that the county levies a median property tax of 1.15% of a property's assessed value.

Regarding property archives, the  Recorder is the authority entrusted with preserving property records in Allen County, OH. These records include a wide range of files such as property lines, maps, plats, deeds, mortgages, liens, and encumbrances. The Recorder’s Office particularly indexes these archives in a manner prescribed by the law to ensure accessibility and to establish ownership history.

These records are publicly available in the office during business hours. For an added guide in locating these recorded files, the  Allen County Recorder’s Index online system is also utilizable. Furthermore, scanned plat books can be separately downloaded from the Recorder’s website.

Obtaining such property documents in Allen County incurs fees. Regular and plat copies cost $2 per page, while certified ones cost an additional $1 per seal. Facsimile transmissions are $2 locally and $4 for long distance.

Concerns on zoning can be validated with the  Lima/Allen County Building Department in person or through landline. They provide zoning information, enforce the Ohio Building Code, and issue Commercial Building Permits within unincorporated townships of Allen County and four contract jurisdictions.