Data center helps fuel big year for county deeds office

The Ozaukee County Register of Deeds Office had a near-record financial year in 2025 due to increased real estate activity bolstered by development of the Vantage Data Centers Lighthouse Campus.

The Register of Deeds Office generated a “profit” in 2025 of $583,244, 11% more than its projected budget for the year. That’s the best showing since 2021, Register of Deeds Jennifer Laurin said.

State statutes require that county profits go to cover operational costs of the office, with any overage going to the county general fund.

Exactly how much money will be available won’t be known until the 2025 ledgers are closed in March.

Those funds are generated by real estate transfer fees, a $30 per document recording fee, charges for copies of recorded documents and vital records, charges for certifying recorded documents, deeds, mortgages and satisfactions.

The state collects a share, sometimes quite substantial, of almost all charges.

For instance, while the county collected $268,883 in transfer fees in December, it will retain just 20% of that, $53,776.68, Laurin said.

About a third of those fees — $88,300 — were generated from the 70 deeds involving VDC Wisco Realty, representing the data center development, Laurin said.

Laurin said that will be about all the data center will mean for her office.

“I do not anticipate it to continue at this rate since most of the property was already purchased,” she said.

On another note, Laurin said her property fraud alert campaign has been successful as 768 property owners enrolled in the program in 2025, bringing the total to 2,376 who have signed up since it began in 2014.

The free online service allows the public to monitor their name for potential fraudulent recordings that may affect their property.

For more information, visit www.ozaukeecounty.gov/199/Register-of-Deeds.