Missouri · land contract
Missouri land contract, explained.
A plain-English guide to land contract (also called contract for deed) in Missouri — statute, recording, default remedies, interest caps, and where deals actually happen.
Mo. Rev. Stat. § 442.380 (recording); common law; no dedicated CFD statute
Recording with county Recorder of Deeds permitted under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 442.380; not mandatory but unrecorded contracts subordinate to subsequent BFPs.
Hybrid. Missouri courts treat CFDs as equitable mortgages where buyer has substantial equity, requiring foreclosure. Otherwise, forfeiture under contract terms enforceable subject to equitable defenses. Statutory right to cure may be implied.
Is land contract legal in Missouri?
Missouri recognizes 'contracts for deed' / 'installment land contracts' under common law as a form of seller financing.
How do you record a land contract agreement in Missouri?
Recording with county Recorder of Deeds permitted under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 442.380; not mandatory but unrecorded contracts subordinate to subsequent BFPs.
What happens if the buyer defaults?
Hybrid. Missouri courts treat CFDs as equitable mortgages where buyer has substantial equity, requiring foreclosure. Otherwise, forfeiture under contract terms enforceable subject to equitable defenses. Statutory right to cure may be implied.
What is the maximum interest rate?
9% if no written agreement; up to 10% by written agreement under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 408.020; loans over $5,000 or commercial generally exempt from cap (§ 408.035).
What disclosures are required?
Missouri does not mandate a general residential property condition disclosure (largely caveat emptor with duty to disclose known material defects); lead-based paint (federal); meth disclosure under Mo. Rev. Stat. § 442.060.
Who's protected — buyer vs. seller
Buyer protections
Equitable mortgage treatment in courts of equity; redemption rights when foreclosure used; courts scrutinize harsh forfeiture clauses.
Seller protections
Forfeiture enforceable absent significant buyer equity; ejectment; retention of payments as rent.
Where in the state do these deals happen?
Rural Missouri (Ozarks, Bootheel) farmland and recreational property; St. Louis and Kansas City inner-city residential; small commercial.
Missouri cities
Per-city market notes for land contract buyers and sellers.
Notable case law
Caraway v. Hannan, 488 S.W.3d 754 (Mo. Ct. App. 2016); Sanders v. Ulrich, 250 S.W.2d 161 (Mo. 1952).
Looking at a Missouri deal?
Send the parcel and the terms — we'll walk through whether land contract fits, how to record it, and what the cure period looks like if things go sideways.
Talk to WyattEducational content only. Statute citations are public-record research, not legal advice. Missouri contracts and remedies are fact-specific — consult a licensed Missouri real-estate attorney before signing anything.