Concerning county recorder fees

Under current law, in addition to the $5 county recorders collect for each page of a document or instrument filed in the county recorder’s office, $1 is collected for the recorder’s records management fund, and $1 is collected for the county recorder’s electronic transaction fund, which is transferred monthly by the county treasurer to the local government electronic transaction fund. This bill amends current law by changing the fee to a flat fee of $10 for each page filed or recorded in the recorder’s office. The bill eliminates the county recorder’s records management funds. Under current law, a county recorder’s records management fund is used by the recorder of each county exclusively for the purpose of preserving and maintaining public records including producing and maintaining public records that meet archival standards, and enhancing the technological storage, retrieval, and transmission capabilities related to archival quality records. Additionally, the fees in this fund are used to preserve and maintain public records, assist counties in reducing record preservation costs, encourage and foster maximum access to public records maintained by county recorders at locations throughout the state, and establish plans for anticipated and possible future needs, including the handling and preservation of vital statistics. The bill eliminates county recorder’s electronic transaction funds and the local government electronic transaction fund. Under current law, the county treasurer pays on a monthly basis the fees deposited into the county recorder’s electronic transaction fund to the treasurer of state for deposit into the local government electronic transaction fund. Moneys credited to the local government electronic transaction fund are used by the treasurer of state for the following purposes: payment of claims approved by the governing board of the county land record information system; planning and implementing electronic recording and electronic transactions in each county; developing county and statewide internet sites to provide electronic access to records and information; and paying the ongoing costs of integrating and maintaining the statewide internet site. The bill eliminates a recorder’s ability to collect an additional recording fee of $10 per document to accept nonconforming documents.602, and any moneys remaining in the local government electronic transaction fund after the effective date of the bill shall be used by the treasurer of state for the payment of claims approved by the governing board of the county land record information system.