Researching a fact or problem related to public records or finding the right public record vendor can be difficult. People often overlook trade associations as resources of information and companies.
A list of the nation's top trade associations whose members are involved with public records to some degree, visit http://www.brbpub.com/prs/TradeAssn.asp
© excerpt from The Sourcebook to Public Record Information
Effective February 2, 2009, the Allegheny Department of Court Records and the Department of Real Estate increased a number of filing and recording fees. For example, a 4-page filing that used to cost $45 now is $65. The search and copy fees remain the same.
For the Civil/Family Division see:
http://dcr.alleghenycounty.us/Civil-Fees-2009.htm.
For the Department of Real Estate see:
www.county.allegheny.pa.us/re/fees.aspx
Two bills were recently introduced in the New Mexico Legislation that would permit the public to request via email copies of public records.
Bill 598 Amends Section 14-2-8 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1993,
Chapter 258, Section 5) and states "For the purposes of this section, "written request" includes an electronic communication, including email or facsimile; provided that the request complies with the requirements of Subsection C of this section."
Bill 507 states that "A written request may be made in electronic or paper form. Information on how to make requests for public records shall be prominently displayed on a publicly accessible web site maintained by or for the public body holding the public records. And the record custodian shall make public records available in electronic form accessible from a remote location, upon request, for a fee of twenty-five cents ($.25) or less per page."
Both bills received a do-pass recommendation from the House Consumer and Public Affairs Committee. View the bills at http://legis.state.nm.us/lcs/_locatorcom.aspx?year=09
The Dane County (where the city of Madison is) Wisconsin Sheriff's Office now permits record requests to be made via online as an automatic email using the request form at www.danesheriff.com/records.aspx. Records available include accident reports and sheriff investigated incidents.
In Missouri, the Circuit Court is the court of general jurisdiction and the Associate Circuit Court is the court of limited jurisdiction. A growing trend is to form Combined Courts. Effective Monday, February 2, 2009, the Associate Court in Atchison County is combining operations (and record databases) with the county's Circuit Court. A record search will produce results from both courts.
The Public Record Retriever Network (PRRN) is pleased to announce a new webpage at www.prrn.us. The page allows the public to search by state and county (or parish) to find a local public record retriever PRRN member who can research a name or access a record file at the local the court or recorder's office. The webpage also has several informative articles with facts about record searching. The other web location for searching a PRRN member is still active at www.brbpub.com/prrn/search.aspx.
Each county has a District Court of “higher jurisdiction” and a Circuit Court of limited jurisdiction. Effective January 1, 2003 all Justice Courts became Circuit Courts and follow Circuit Court rules.
Circuit Courts handle civil claims up to $7,000 and small claims to $5,000. The District Courts take cases over the applicable limit in each county.
Three counties have two Circuit Courts each: Fremont, Park, and Sweetwater. Cases may be filed in either of the two court offices in those counties, and records requests are referred between the two courts.
Municipal courts operate in all incorporated cities and towns; their jurisdiction covers all ordinance violations, DUIs, and some misdemeanors, but no civil jurisdiction. The Municipal Court judge may assess penalties of up to $750 and/or six months in jail.
Probate is handled by the District Court.
© excerpt from The Public Records Tips Book.
Several changes went into effect on October 1, 2008 for the office of the Montana Secretary of State. The fee increased for copies and fax-back services for corporation and other business entity records, and for UCC filing records. The new copy fee is now set at a flat rate of $5.00 for copies per search or file. Previously the rate was $.50 per page. The Secretary of State will return copies or documents via fax. The new fax-back rate is a $5.00 flat fee. Previously, the fee was $3.00 for the first 10 pages then $.50 for each additional page.
A complete list of all fees, including all filing and search costs, is found at http://sos.mt.gov/BSB/forms/fees/Business_Filing_Fees.pdf.
The jurisdiction of the U.S. Tax Court includes the authority to hear tax disputes concerning notices of deficiency, notices of transferee liability, certain types of declaratory judgment, readjustment and adjustment of partnership items, review of the failure to abate interest, administrative costs, worker classification, relief from joint and several liability on a joint return, and review of certain collection actions. For a less formal and speedier disposition in certain tax disputes involving $50,000 or less, taxpayers may choose to have the case conducted under the Court's simplified small tax case procedure. However, these decisions may not be appealed.
Docket information is available for cases filed on or after May 1, 1986. Call Docket Information at 202-521-4650. For case records, call Records and Reproduction at 202-521-4688.
Direct questions to United States Tax Court, 400 Second Street, NW, Washington, DC 20217. The main number is 202-521-0700. Dockets and opinions also may be searched on the web at www.ustaxcourt.gov.
© excerpt from The Public Record Research TIPS Book
Rhode Island has five counties, but only four Superior/District Court Locations — 2nd-Newport, 3rd-Kent, 4th-Washington, and 6th-Providence/Bristol Districts. Bristol and Providence counties are completely merged at the Providence location.
Civil claims between $5000 and $10,000 may be filed in either Superior Court or District Court at the discretion of the filer. Probate is handled by the Town Clerk at the 39 cities and towns across Rhode Island, not at the courts.
© excerpt from The Public Record Research TIPS Book
