BP BHEAD INT S [atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to filing documents with county auditors; and amending RCW 65.04.045, 65.04.047, and 36.18.010.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 65.04.045 and 1996 c 143 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) When any instrument relating to real property, other than a document authorized under Title 62A RCW, is presented to a county auditor or recording officer for recording, the first page of the instrument shall contain:

(a) A top margin of at least three inches and a one-inch margin on the bottom and sides;

(b) The top left-hand side of the page shall contain the name and address to whom the instrument will be returned;

(c) The title or titles of the instrument to be recorded indicating the kind or kinds of documents or transactions contained therein. The auditor or recording officer shall only be required to index the title or titles captioned on the document;

(d) Reference numbers of documents assigned or released with reference to the document page number where additional references can be found, if applicable;

(e) The names of the grantor(s) and grantee(s) with reference to the document page number where additional names are if applicable;

(f) An abbreviated legal description of the property, including lot, block, plat, or section, township, and range, and reference to the document page number where the full legal description is included, if applicable;

(g) The assessor's property tax parcel or account number.

(2) All pages of the document shall be on sheets of paper of a weight and color capable of producing a legible image that are not larger than fourteen inches long and eight and one-half inches wide with text printed or written in eight point type or larger. Further, all instruments presented for recording must have a one-inch margin on the top, bottom, and sides for all pages except page one, be prepared in ink color capable of being imaged, and have all seals legible and capable of being imaged, and no attachments may be affixed to the pages.

The information provided on the instrument must be in substantially the following form:

This Space Provided for Recorder's Use

When Recorded Return to:

.................................................................

Document Title(s)

Grantor(s)

Grantee(s)

Legal Description

Assessor's Property Tax Parcel or Account Number

Reference Numbers of Documents Assigned or Released

Sec. 2. RCW 65.04.047 and 1996 c 143 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

If an instrument relating to real property, other than a document authorized under Title 62A RCW, presented for recording does not contain the information required by RCW 65.04.045(1) (a) through (e), the person preparing the instrument for recording shall prepare a cover sheet that contains the required information. The cover sheet shall be attached to the instrument and shall be recorded as a part of the instrument. An additional page fee as determined under RCW 36.18.010 shall be collected for recording of the cover sheet. Any errors in the cover sheet shall not affect the transactions contained in the instrument itself. The cover sheet need not be separately signed or acknowledged. The cover sheet information shall be used to generate the auditor's grantor/grantee index, however, the names and legal description in the instrument itself will determine the legal chain of title. The cover sheet shall be substantially the following form:

WASHINGTON STATE COUNTY AUDITOR/RECORDER'S

INDEXING FORM

Return Address

Please print or type information

Document Title(s) (or transactions contained therein):

Grantor(s) (Last name first, then first name and initials)

5. 9 Additional names on page ___ of document.

Grantee(s) (Last name first, then first name and initials)

5. 9 Additional names on page ___ of document.

Legal Description (abbreviated: i.e., lot, block, plat or section, township, range)

9 Additional legal description is on page ___ of document.

Assessor's Property Tax Parcel or Account Number:

Reference Number(s) of Documents assigned or released:

9 Additional references on page ___ of document.

The Auditor or Recording Officer will rely on the information provided on this form. The staff will not read the document to verify the accuracy of or the completeness of the indexing information provided herein.

Sec. 3. RCW 36.18.010 and 1996 c 143 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

County auditors or recording officers shall collect the following fees for their official services:

For recording instruments, for the first page ((~~eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less~~)), five dollars; for each additional page ((~~eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less~~)), one dollar; the fee for recording multiple transactions contained in one instrument will be calculated individually for each transaction requiring separate indexing as required under RCW 65.04.050;

For preparing and certifying copies, for the first page eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less, three dollars; for each additional page eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less, one dollar;

For preparing noncertified copies, for each page eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less, one dollar;

For administering an oath or taking an affidavit, with or without seal, two dollars;

For issuing a marriage license, eight dollars, (this fee includes taking necessary affidavits, filing returns, indexing, and transmittal of a record of the marriage to the state registrar of vital statistics) plus an additional five-dollar fee for use and support of the prevention of child abuse and neglect activities to be transmitted monthly to the state treasurer and deposited in the state general fund plus an additional ten-dollar fee to be transmitted monthly to the state treasurer and deposited in the state general fund. The legislature intends to appropriate an amount at least equal to the revenue generated by this fee for the purposes of the displaced homemaker act, chapter 28B.04 RCW;

For searching records per hour, eight dollars;

For recording plats, fifty cents for each lot except cemetery plats for which the charge shall be twenty-five cents per lot; also one dollar for each acknowledgment, dedication, and description: PROVIDED, That there shall be a minimum fee of twenty-five dollars per plat;

For recording of miscellaneous records not listed above, for the first page eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less, five dollars; for each additional page eight and one-half by fourteen inches or less, one dollar;

For modernization and improvement of the recording and indexing system, a surcharge as provided in RCW 36.22.170.