Clerk of Courts

Meet the Clerk of Courtscindym-226x300
Cindy Mollenkopf
Cindy Mollenkopf is the Clerk of Courts. She is a native of Van Wert County, a graduate of Lincolnview High School. She began her career with Van Wert County Clerk of Courts Title Department in 2000. She was elected Clerk of Courts in the 2008 election.

Cindy is married to Rick Mollenkopf Sr. and resides in Convoy, and has three children, JR (Becki) Mollenkopf, Nick (deceased), Michelle Mollenkopf, 2 granddaughters, Brynn and Kaylee. Cindy is a member of the Ohio Clerk of Courts Association, Convoy United Methodist Church, UMW, Thomas Edison Board, Special Olympics Board, and volunteers as a coach for Special Olympics. Cindy also serves on the Community Correction Board, Data Processing Board, and Micrographics Board.

The Van Wert County Clerk of Courts serves the Common Pleas Court and the Third District Court of Appeals when Van Wert County cases are involved. The Clerk is elected on a party ballot for a four-year term at the same time the county treasurer, sheriff and prosecuting attorney are selected. The Clerk administers the oath to juries, endorses the time of filing on all pleading papers, and enters all orders, decrees, judgments and proceedings of the courts.

The duties mandated by the statutes of the Ohio Revised Code have grown tremendously over the years. The responsibilities of the Clerk of Court of Common Pleas are set forth in over 250 sections of the Ohio Revised Code.

The Clerk of Courts plays a vital role in serving the interests of justice. This includes filing, docketing, indexing and preserving all court pleadings for civil, felony criminal and domestic relations cases. The Clerk of Courts must also follow procedure required by law and issue writs to carry out Court orders. Some of these writs include summons, subpoenas, warrants to arrest and to convey to penal institutions, and signing the death warrant in capital cases.

In addition to processing all Court paperwork, the Clerk of Courts must preserve all of these records for use by future generations.

Ohio’s Clerks of the Court of Common Pleas also:

  • Accept Bonds
  • Call Juries
  • Administer Oaths
  • File State Tax Liens
  • File Judgment Liens
  • Accept Passport Applications

Title Department Courthouse Suite 207

Hours Monday 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM; Tuesday through Friday 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM
Phone (419) 238-6989

Title issuance is performed by the County Clerk’s Title Department, not the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.

The Automobile and Watercraft Title Division of the Clerk of Courts of Common Pleas is linked throughout the State of Ohio by a sophisticated computer network. This Automated Title Processing System (ATPS) provides fast, efficient issuance of approximately 4.5 million Ohio Titles annually. A certificate of title is documented proof of ownership.

In addition to collecting the sales and use taxes for the purchase of automobiles, the Clerk of Courts is responsible for collecting all revenue relating to court costs, bonds, fines and forfeitures. The Clerk of Courts of Common Pleas is responsible for receiving and disbursing thousands of other dollars which are directed to various accounts of the county and state.

Visit our Title Services page for more information