BRB's Public Records Blog

Key Recording Fee Changes For July 1, 2011

Iowa
Effective July 1, 2011, recording fees will decrease by $2.00. The fee for the first
page of all documents (standard size) will be $7.00; it was $9.00. Each additional page will still be $5.00.
 
Maryland
A $20 surcharge is imposed on all recorded instruments including Deeds, Deeds of Trust (Mortgages), and Powers of Attorney. Note the surcharge will only affect instruments executed on or after July 1, 2011. Any documents executed prior to this date will not be affected. For example the typical cost of recording a real estate sale will increase from $40 to $60.
 
New Mexico
The state is changing the its fee procedure for recording documents. Effective July 1, 2011, the cost to record a document will be $25.00; however, this will include up to a block of 10 entries in the index of the county recording district. Each addition entry group up to 10 will be an additional $25.  This new price structure will actually lower the cost of recording many documents.
 
See www.nmlegis.gov/Sessions/11%20Regular/final/SB0369.pdf
 
Kerns County, California
Recording fees will increase by $6.00 for all documents (except Maps and UCCs).

MA Register of Deeds Tries to Halt Non-Recording of Mortgage Assignments

According to an article in the Salem News, written by Julie Manganis, an entity known as the Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems or MERS has bypassed thousands of mortgage records. When a property is sold, financed or refinanced, there must be a recording of the mortgage at the local level. But when these mortgages are sold or bundled and sold (as many as four times), MERS was bypassing the recording fees. Per the article "MERS would keep tabs on the mortgage, essentially creating a private registry and avoiding the fees."

Thus, a number of properties can not be properly tracked or searched in public records at the affected local jurisdictions. Also, home owners may not know who holds their mortgages.

Mr. John O'Brien, the Essex South Register of Deeds in Massachusetts estimates that his office has lost over $22 million in recording fees on over 148,000 recordings taken place since 1998. Mr. O'Brien has requested that the Massachusetts Attorney General take action against MERS. According to ther article "MERS has acknowledged that transfers or assignments of mortgages should have been transferred."

Pennsylvania Fee Increase for Recordings and Civil Actions

House Bill 1607, signed by Pennsylvania Governor Rendell on October 9, 2009, amended Title 42 (Judiciary and Judicial Procedures) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes. Now known as ACT 49, this law adds an additional $13.50 to a number of document fees. The increase is added specifically to all documents that currently are assessed an Access to Justice (Judicial Computer System) JCS fee of $10.00. As of December 8, 2009, the new fee will be $23.50, rather than $10.00, on all documents covered per the original law for the JCS portion. 
 
In simple English, the added fee affects all recorded Deeds, Mortgages; Mortgage Assignments; Mortgage Releases; Mortgage Satisfaction Pieces; Installment Sales Agreements; Easements; and Rights of Way. 
 
Also, the JCS fee is currently part of the fee charged on filing certain civil court actions and appeals. Thus, the court costs associated with a number of filings will also increase $13.50.
 
The fee increase does not affect record searches or copy fees. A copy of the bill can be found at www.legis.state.pa.us.

Be Aware if Asset Lien Searching in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has 4 counties but 21 recording offices. Berkshire and Bristol counties each have three recording offices. Essex, Middlesex, and Worcester counties each have two recording offices.
Also, know that cities/towns bearing the same name as a county are Barnstable, Essex, Franklin, Hampden, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, and Worcester.

Note: This tip is from Michael Sankey's book Public Record Reseach TIPS Book

Searching Recording Offices in Connecticut

There are 8 counties and 169 towns/cities in Connecticut. There is no county recording in Connecticut; all recording is at the town/city level. The recording officer is the Town/City Clerk.

Be careful not to confuse searching in the following towns/cities as equivalent to a countywide search (since they have the same names): Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, New London, Tolland, and Windham. Connecticut is in the Eastern Time Zone (EST).

© excerpt from The Sourcebook to Public Record Information

Fee to Record Documents in Iowa Increases

Effective July 1, 2009, the electronic transaction fee to record most documents at an Iowa county recorder’s office will increase from $1.00 to $3.00 per record transaction. The purpose of the fee increase is to pay for the redaction of Social Security Numbers from records obtained at www.iowalandrecords.org. The fee does not apply to a military separation or discharge record, a birth record, a death certificate, or marriage certificate unless such record or certificate is incorporated within another document or instrument that is recorded and displayed for public access on a website. The fee is scheduled to stay in effect until June 30, 2011 when the fee will be reduced by $2.00.  The fee increase is part of Senate File 465 - see SF 465 at http://www.legis.state.ia.us/index.html.

Allegheny County, PA Raises Court Filing Fees and RE Recording Fees

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

Shasta County (CA) Assessor-Recorder Raises Copy and Certification Fees

Effective February 5, 2009, the price for copies of recorded documents and official records from the Shasta County Assessor-Recorder's Office increased significantly. The copy fee is now $3.50 for the first page and $1.50 per each additional page. Previously the fee was $1.00 for the first page and $.50 each additional page. The fee to certify a document remains at $2.50.

Kosciusko County, Indiana Recorders Office Going Online

Kosciusko County, Indiana  announced it has a contract with Doxpop to provide county recorder public records online starting January 2009.  Fees have not been anounced but there will be a $1 copy fee passed back the county recorder's office.  The data will be available at www.doxpop.com and will also be linked from the county site www.kcgov.com

Connecticut Public Record Research Tip

Local Searching in Connecticut

In Connecticut there are 8 counties and 169 towns/cities with signficant public records. There is no county recording in Connecticut, all recording is at the town/city level. The recording officer is the Town/City Clerk.

Be careful not to confuse searching in the following towns/cities as equivalent to a countywide search (since they have the same names): Fairfield, Hartford, Litchfield, New Haven, New London, Tolland, and Windham.

© excerpt from Business Background Investigations book.