One of the biggest challenges we face at the registry is how to scan the wide variety of documents that are presented for recording. They come in every size, shape, shade, and font size. With scanning such an integral part of our operation, processing these non-standard documents eats up a big chunk of our time. And the miniscule margins that are left on many of these documents make placement of the label bearing the recording information difficult. On many documents, the label must obscure printing on the original because there is absolutely no blank space left. I will be working with other registers of deeds to formulate clear, easy to comply with standards. I would like to see them take effect on January 1, 2005, perhaps with a one year amnesty period to give companies with pre-printed forms time to get into compliance. I believe New Hampshire registries undertook this process several years ago, so a fact finding trip north of the border might be in order. Informal conversations about this topic with customers have made it clear that there will be resistance, but our informal efforts to get the folks who produce the documents to be more reasonable in their formatting has not prevented the situation from getting worse. One of the chief duties of a register of deeds is to produce a legible and permanent version of recorded documents. Given much of what's now presented for recording, that's an impossible task, so I believe that the time for enforceable standards has arrived.
Thursday, September 02, 2004
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1 comment:
I agree that it is crucial to have some type of standard. NH registries require either a 3 or 4" margin (i cannot remember which) at the top of deeds (and possibly other documents) to place recording information. I see a potential problem in adopting a standard at only one or a few of the registries. I work for a relatively small law firm that, given its size, closes a large number of files every week. The #1 complaint in the office right now concerning recordings is attempting to figure out which registry charges postage fees for returning documents and which ones will accept a stamped envelope. Of course, we have it written down on one sheet of paper, but the varying requirements are annoying (just as it is equally annoying to calculate the recording costs of a document in NH, especially mortgages).
I have no problem with standards. But they have to be STANDARD to work. Just as recording fees at every registry are the same in MA (thank god), so too should be their operating and recording procedures.
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