In the near future I will be introducing legislation that will modernize Act 87 of 1982 which established the fees for recording of documents by County Recorders of Deeds. This legislation would be similar to laws passed in 21 other states and recognizes the need to reduce uncertainty and delay in the recording process for consumers.
 
The current method for calculating the cost of recording is dependent on page count, number of names, number of parcels and number of marginal document references. The current method is now unwieldy for home buyers and incompatible with a legal rule issued by the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau which regulates residential mortgage transactions. This rule mandates that recording costs be accurately disclosed in advance of settlement and, most importantly, before the document to be recorded is in final form.
 
In 2016, the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee (LBFC) conducted a review of the fees collected by Recorders of Deeds. Its findings included (1) “Fees charged by County Recorders of Deeds are difficult to predict because they can vary based on factors such as the number of pages and the number of names that need to be indexed” and (2) “Many states are moving toward predictable recording fees to avoid delays and penalties at settlement.”
 
Due to this, my legislation will modernize Recorder of Deeds fees, which is common sense legislation that will be of benefit to consumers, lenders, businesses, attorneys and others who record documents in the Commonwealth. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation.

Prior Co-Sponsors (HB 1244): CIRESI, MADDEN, GUENST, McANDREW, MALAGARI, HILL-EVANS, DELLOSO, TAKAC, SANCHEZ, WARREN, HOWARD, BRIGGS, NEILSON, T. DAVIS, O'MARA, SAPPEY, GREEN, SHUSTERMAN, MUNROE, BRENNAN and SCOTT