§ 1217 Unrecorded Instrument Validity

• •An unrecorded document works between the people who made it.
• •It also works for anyone who knows about it (has notice).
• •You don't need to file it with the county for it to be valid.

You and your neighbor make a handwritten agreement that you'll trade your lawnmowers next summer, and you both tell friends about it.

Even though you never filed that paper with the county, it's still a valid agreement because both of you signed it and the friends who heard about it have notice of it.