Except in counties where deeds or other separate instruments are required as provided in this section, a lease, whether or not renewable forever, that is recorded in any county recorder's office, may be canceled or partially released by the lessor and lessee, or assigned by either of them, by writing the cancellation, partial release, or assignment on the original lease, or upon the margin of the record of the original lease, and by signing it. That cancellation, partial release, or assignment need not be acknowledged, but if written on the margin of the record, the signing shall be attested to by the county recorder. The assignment by the lessee, whether it is upon the lease, or upon the margin of the record of the lease, or by separate instrument, shall transfer all interest held by the lessee under the lease in the premises described in the lease, unless otherwise stated in the lease or in the assignment. For copying the cancellation, partial release, or assignment upon the margin of the record, if written upon the original instrument, or for attesting it, if written upon the margin of the record, the county recorder shall charge the fee provided by section 317.32 of the Revised Code for recording the assignment and satisfaction of mortgages.

A lease, whether or not renewable forever, that is recorded in any county recorder's office, also may be canceled, partially released, or assigned by deed or by other separate instrument acknowledged as provided in section 5301.01 of the Revised Code. Unless in the form of a deed, a separate instrument of cancellation, partial release, or assignment shall be recorded in the official records provided for by section 317.08 of the Revised Code. The county recorder shall charge the fee for that recording as provided in section 317.32 of the Revised Code for recording deeds.

If a lease has been canceled, partially released, or assigned by deed or by other separate instrument and that deed or other separate instrument recites the county recorder's file number of the original lease or the volume and page of the record in which the original lease is recorded, the county recorder shall note on the margin of the record of the original lease the county recorder's file number of the deed or other separate instrument or the volume and page of the record in which the same is recorded.

"Lessor" and "lessee" as used in this section include an assignee of the interest of either. "Lease" as used in this section includes a memorandum of lease provided for by section 5301.251 of the Revised Code. This section does not permit the assignment of any lease if the assignment is prohibited by the terms of the lease.

In a county in which the county recorder has determined to use the microfilm process as provided by section 9.01 of the Revised Code, the county recorder may require that all cancellations, partial releases, and assignments of leases be by deed or other separate instrument. The original instrument bearing the proper endorsement may be used as such separate instrument.

Amended by 130th General Assembly File No. 41, HB 72, §1, eff. 1/30/2014.

Effective Date: 02-01-2002 .