The number of recording jurisdictions that are electronically recording (e-recording) documents reached the 900 mark in April, according to Kay Wrucke, recorder, Martin County, Minn., and president of the Property Records Industry Association (PRIA).
“This milestone is particularly meaningful because ‘900’ represents approximately 25 percent of the total number of recording jurisdictions in the country,” Wrucke said.
According to PRIA’s tracking system, it took from the late 1990s until August 2006 to reach the 200 eRecording counties mark. More than 1,000 counties are expected to be electronically recording documents by the end of 2013.
“Between June 2012 and April 2013, the number of counties committing to the eRecording process increased by 9 percent,” said Washoe County (Nev.) Recorder and PRIA Technology Committee Co-chair, Larry Burtness. “As the PRIA eRecording standards continue to mature, the number of counties leveraging this technology continues to expand.”
Simplifile and Corporation Service Co. both announced updates to their e-recording networks last week as well:
Alaska added 10 new recording districts to the Simplifile network of jurisdictions currently accepting e-recording, progressing with the Alaska State Recorder’s goal to provide e-recording statewide by the end of June. The full list: Fairbanks, Fort Gibbon, Nulato, Rampart, Barrow, Nenana, Manley Hot Springs, Mount McKinley, Kotzebue, and Nome recording districts.
“Our fiscal year ends June 30, and it is our goal to have all 34 of our Alaska recording districts set up to e-record by that time,” said Alaska State Recorder Vicky Backus.
According to Backus, who has been the state recorder for the past 12 years, the state began to consider the adoption of e-recording when the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) was first introduced, an act that supported the validity of electronic contracts as a viable medium of agreement.
“We started scanning all documents in 2001 and e-recording seemed like a natural progression,” Backus said. “Plus, it offered another level of service for our customers across the state and the nation.”
Corporation Service Company (CSC) became an approved vendor for Randolph County, N.C. and Lincoln County, Neb.
Randolph County has offered electronic document recording services since 2012, and Lincoln County has offered electronic document recording services since 2011. Their partnerships with CSC will allow even more document submitters to electronically submit land records for recordation. CSC’s submitters include a majority of the nation’s largest banks and virtually all the major title insurance companies, among others.