HB530: relative to charges for services by the register of deeds.

HB 530-FN-LOCAL - AS INTRODUCED

2017 SESSION

17-0494

05/04

HOUSE BILL 530-FN-LOCAL

AN ACT relative to charges for services by the register of deeds.

SPONSORS: Rep. Pearl, Merr. 26

COMMITTEE: Municipal and County Government

ANALYSIS

This bill provides that registers of deeds shall not charge more than $1 per page for copies of documents. The bill also requires the records to be available online, to the greatest extent practicable.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

17-0494

05/04

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen

AN ACT relative to charges for services by the register of deeds.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Register of Deeds; Document Copy Fee; Online Access. Amend RSA 478:17-g to read as follows:

III. For copying any document or providing any other service, the charge shall be established and posted by the register of deeds; provided that the fee for copying a document shall not exceed $1 per page.

IV. The records of each registry of deeds, including its grantor and grantee indices and all recorded documents of any kind, shall be made available online to the greatest extent practicable. Records available online shall be accessible by the public without charge.

2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.

LBAO 17-0494

1/6/17

HB 530-FN-LOCAL- FISCAL NOTE

AS INTRODUCED

AN ACT relative to charges for services by the register of deeds.

FISCAL IMPACT: [ ] State [ X ] County [ ] Local [ ] None

Estimated Increase / (Decrease)

COUNTY:

FY 2018

FY 2019

FY 2020

FY 2021

Revenue

($739,000)

($746,000)

($754,000)

($761,000)

Expenditures

Indeterminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

Indetreminable Increase

Indeterminable Increase

METHODOLOGY:

This bill provides that the fee charged by Registers of Deeds for copying a document shall not exceed $1 per page. It also requires that the records of each Registry of Deeds shall be made available online to the greatest extent practicable and accessible by the public without charge. Using the fees charged for document copies, plan copies, certifications, facsimile copies, subscription services plus copy fees by Registers of Deeds and increasing these fees by 1% per year, the Association estimates county revenue will decrease by $739,000 in FY 2018, $746,000 in FY 2019, $754,000 in FY 2020 and $761,000 in FY 2021. The Association states the fees charged by the counties are currently listed on their respective websites for public view. Revenue from the Registry of Deeds is used to offset county tax rates by reducing the county budget.

AGENCIES CONTACTED:

New Hampshire Association of Counties