I see it, too, Linda - I think the bigger counties can hold their own, but sometimes I see stuff coming from the Oregon Association of County Clerks - particularly from some of the smaller counties in Eastern Oregon, and I'm really tempted to ask "do you even know who it is you work for?!!"
Personally, I think recording sections could both profit and really provide a needed service if they went back to the more expansive recording they did up until the 1960's, shifting the focus back to impartiality and trusted repository (ie, if you pay the fee, we will record it), as well as supporting property transactions. Think of it: long term digital preservation is a challenge, yet we already have an existing infrastructure in place to provide long term preservation of document based information in the county recording offices. It would not only bring in more revenue, it would create a direct link between that revenue source and long term preservation. Unfortunately, I think a lot of recorders see the latter as an unnecessary burden - this would create a great incentive for them to invest some of that revenue into that preservation (these records are, after all, generally permanent by statute). It just strikes me as a win win all the way around.
Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Records Management Program
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Gresham, OR 97233
phone: (503)988-3741
fax: (503)988-3754
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-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Linda Buss
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 1:12 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: IS MERS a perfect record keeping story
Dwight,
When I was the Clackamas County Recording Manager it was a struggle to keep the title companies at arm's length. Not to say we didn't have a good working relationship. However, they wanted to dictate our hours and processes. In some instances they cozyied up with my staff to promote their own agenda.
Linda Buss
----- Original Message -----
From: "WALLIS Dwight D" <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 12:09:14 PM
Subject: Re: IS MERS a perfect record keeping story
I think there is an issue here with many of the county recorders as
well, in that they have forgotten the purpose of county recording in the
first place: to serve as an impartial and trusted record holder of
agreements between two parties (a critical element in developing the
sanctity of contracts in emerging capitalist societies, where contracts
were often violated, altered or ignored with impunity), as well as a
trusted repository for records to be maintained for posterity. This is
what those fees are paying for. And while we want recording functions to
be efficient, efficiency should not be bought at the cost of undermining
the ability of a recorder to serve as an impartial record holder.
Unfortunately, I think there are county recorders who see themselves as
adjuncts of the mortgage/title/real estate industries and nothing more.
To give but one example: recorders who populate their imaging systems
with images purchased from title companies or other third parties to
avoid the cost of scanning their own backlogs. In my opinion, such
images should not be presented as "official copy" for certification
purposes (they are not in Multnomah County), as there has been a break
in the chain of custody, undermining the claim of impartiality.
Dwight Wallis, CRM
Records Administrator
Multnomah County Records Management Program
1620 SE 190th Avenue
Gresham, OR 97233
phone: (503)988-3741
fax: (503)988-3754
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