This bill increases fees paid to a county register of deeds for certain services. It implements a flat fee of $45 for receiving, recording and indexing instruments that do not already have a specific fee set forth in statute and changes the fee for recording, indexing and preserving plans to $45. The bill also increases fees applicable to electronic or printed images and electronic abstracts from a county registry of deeds website and increases the surcharge a register of deeds may collect per document. It also increases the fees associated with downloads of 1,000 or more consecutive electronic images or abstracts from a county registry of deeds and prohibits the buyer from selling such images or abstracts to another person. The bill also repeals a $13 fee for requests for more than one previously recorded instrument. In current law, an annual report is required from the register of deeds for each county to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over state and local government matters on the amount of surcharge funds raised and expended and the use of those funds; the bill makes the report required only if requested by the committee.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text LD 358, SP 144: 33.751, 33.752