The county recorder shall make and keep up direct and reverse indexes of all the names of both parties to all instruments previously received for record by the county recorder. The indexes shall show the kind of instrument, the range, township, and section or the survey number and number of acres, or the permanent parcel number provided for under section 319.28 of the Revised Code, or the lot and sublot number and the part thereof, all as the case requires, of each tract, parcel, or lot of land described in any such instrument. The name of each grantor shall be entered in the direct index, and the name of each grantee shall be entered in the reverse index. After a village dissolution under sections 703.31 to 703.39 of the Revised Code, the county recorder may continue to utilize the lot and sublot number previously assigned to a tract, parcel, or lot of land.
As to notices of claims filed in accordance with sections 5301.51, 5301.52, and 5301.56 of the Revised Code, there shall be entered in the reverse index the name of each claimant, followed by the name of the present owner of title against whom the claim is asserted, if the notice contains the name of the present owner; or, if the notice contains the names of more than one such owner, there shall be entered the name of the first owner followed by "and others" or its equivalent.
In all cases of deeds, mortgages, or other instruments made by any sheriff, master commissioner, marshal, auditor, executor, administrator, trustee, or other officer, for the sale, conveyance, or encumbrance of any lands, tenements, or hereditaments, and recorded in the recorder's office, the recorder shall index the parties to such instrument under their appropriate letters, respectively, as follows:
Whenever, in the opinion of the board of county commissioners, it becomes necessary to transcribe, on account of its worn out or incomplete condition, any volume of an index in use, such volume shall be revised and transcribed to conform with this section; except that in counties having a sectional index in conformity with section 317.20 of the Revised Code, such transcript shall be only a copy of the original.
R.C. § 317.18