Deed Trace!

I finally went down to the County Courthouse (room 450) to trace ownership of our house. I spent an incredibly fun hour (well, if you are a research geek like me). I need to go back because I got stuck in the middle a bit, and ran out of time. Maybe the April 30 furlough day...

Here's what I learned.

1909
(12/16/09, deed book 8 page 246) Thomas M. Bell, of Hall County, sold the property to J. W. Hughes for $750. The property is described as Lot 8 and 9, Block 1, Lynwood Park subdivision. Restrictions on the deed included that 'no building on Hill Street, Cobb Street (and several others) can be built costing less than $1500', all buildings must be 14 feet from the property line, and the lot may not be sold or transferred to 'colored people.'

1921
(10/05/21, deed book 33 page 544) J. W. Hughes sold the property to R. G. Wallace for $500. I think this was Lot 8 only.
(10/12/21, deed book 33 page 545) R. G. Wallace sold the property to E. J. O'Kelley for $1000. The property is described as on the N side of Hill Street, Lot no. 8, Block no. 1 of the Lynwood Park property, and addition to the City of Athens.

[Presumably the house was built shortly thereafter; it appears in the 1923-24 City Directory with E.J. O'Kelley and his wife May resident. They reside there again in 1931.]

1948
(01/09/48, deed book 108 page 47) Mrs. E.J. O'Kelley gave the house by Quitclaim Deed (QCD) to E.J. O'Kelley.
(01/13/48, deed book 108 page 107) E.J. O'Kelley gave the house by QCD to Mrs. E.J. O'Kelley.

[Now, what in heck is this all about? Tax dodging? How did Mrs. get it in the first place - I missed that transfer somehow? The O'Kelleys, both of them, seem to own several other properties in Athens, as well, mostly on South Pope Street, so I got a little tangled.]

1958
E.J. O'Kelley died on May 5, 1958, leaving no children. His wife, referred to as both Mrs. E. J. O'Kelley and May Burden O'Kelley (clearly designated the same person), inherited some properties from him, I think the Pope Street ones. Relevant deed book/page numbers are 302/180, 302/182, 302/273; two dispose of the Pope Street properties in 1968, and one is an affadavit that Mrs. O'Kelley inherited them from the deceased E.J. in 1958. I didn't find anything in 1958, however, and apparently as of 1948 the house on Hill Street belonged to Mrs. E.J. O'Kelley anyway; see above. Also note that according to the City Directories, E.J. O'Kelley resided at 880 Hill Street with a wife named Ettie M. in 1956. So, did E.J. and May Burden O'Kelley get divorced? Are the City Directories wrong?

1960-61
(deed book 184 page 437, deed book 193, page 198) May Burden O'Kelley, now residing in Fulton County, designated Miss Cora O'Kelley (1960) or Mrs. Cora O'Kelley Hepp (1961) as responsible for managing rental properties in Athens for her. Pope Street addresses are mentioned; Hill Street is not.

At this point I ran out of time. Note that the last ownership I've found of Hill Street is Mrs. E. J. O'Kelley in 1948, and she was still living in 1968. I didn't find any later mention of Hill Street in regards to the O'Kelleys.

Working backwards from the present, I found:
1988
(2/17/88, deed book 815, page 346) Brain J. Kent bought the house (from a bank) for $126,000. The deed book has a plan of the property, showing a wood fence around the backyard (presumably the existing), and no deck at the back of the house. There is a reference to Plat book 24, page 121.

1995
(7/3/95, deed book 1510, page 270) Anne W. Reynolds bought the house from Brian J. Kent and Deborah Finco-Kent. The Tax assessment was $97, which suggests a house value for taxes of $97,000. (I think it actually sold for more like $130,000, IIRC.)

2008
The deed for our purchase of the house was registered 7/7/08 at 10:47 am. It's deed book 3518, page 479. The property is described as Lynwood Park Block 1 Lot 8 and Lot 9 (I think half of Lot 9), with a reference to Plat book 32 page 106.

I do have the name of the homeowner in the mid-1980s (from the City Directories), so I can probably add that one easily.