H-0181.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 1542

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      56th Legislature     1999 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Ericksen, D. Schmidt, Romero and McMorris

 

Read first time 01/28/1999.  Referred to Committee on Local Government.

Recording surveys.


    AN ACT Relating to the recording of surveys by a county auditor; and amending RCW 58.09.050 and 58.09.110.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 58.09.050 and 1973 c 50 s 5 are each amended to read as follows:

    The records of survey to be filed under authority of this chapter shall be processed as follows:

    (1) ((Surveys which qualify under RCW 58.09.040(1) shall be a map, legibly drawn, printed or reproduced by a process guaranteeing a permanent record in black on tracing cloth, or equivalent, eighteen by twenty-four inches, or of a size as required by the county auditor.  If ink is used on polyester base film, the ink shall be coated with a suitable substance to assure permanent legibility.)) (a) The record of survey filed under RCW 58.09.040(1) shall be an original map, eighteen by twenty-four inches, that is legibly drawn in black ink on mylar and is suitable for producing legible prints through scanning, microfilming, or other standard copying procedures.

    (b) The following are allowable formats for the original that may be used in lieu of the format set forth under (a) of this subsection:

    (i) Photo mylar with original signatures;

    (ii) Any standard material as long as the format is compatible with the auditor's recording process and records storage system.  This format is only allowed in those counties that are excepted from permanently storing the original document as required in RCW 58.09.110(5);

    (iii) An electronic version of the original if the county has the capability to accept a digital signature issued by a licensed certification authority under chapter 19.34 RCW or a certification authority under the rules adopted by the Washington state board of registration for professional engineers and land surveyors, and can import electronic files into an imaging system.  The electronic version shall be a standard raster file format acceptable to the county.

    A two inch margin ((shall be provided)) on the left edge and a one-half inch margin ((shall be provided at the)) on other edges of the map shall be provided.  The auditor shall reject for recording any maps not suitable for producing legible prints through scanning, microfilming, or other standard copying procedures.

    (2) Information required by RCW 58.09.040(2) shall be ((recorded)) filed on a standard form eight and one-half inches by fourteen inches ((which shall be)) as designed and prescribed by the ((bureau of surveys and maps)) department of natural resources.  The auditor shall reject for recording any records of corner information not suitable for producing legible prints through scanning, microfilming, or other standard copying procedures.  An electronic version of the standard form may be filed if the county has the capability to accept a digital signature issued by a licensed certification authority under chapter 19.34 RCW or a certification authority under the rules adopted by the Washington state board of registration for professional engineers and land surveyors, and can import electronic files into an imaging system.  The electronic version shall be a standard raster file format acceptable to the county.

    (3) Two legible prints of each record of survey ((and records of monuments and accessories)) as required under the provisions of this chapter shall be furnished to the county auditor in the county in which the survey is to be recorded.  ((The auditor shall keep one copy for his records and shall send the second to the bureau of surveys and maps at Olympia, Washington, with the auditor's record number thereon.)) The auditor, in those counties using imaging systems, may require only the original, and fewer prints, as needed, to meet the requirements of their duties.  If any of the prints submitted are not suitable for scanning or microfilming the auditor shall not record the original.

    (4) Legibility requirements are set forth in the recorder's checklist under RCW 58.09.110.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 58.09.110 and 1973 c 50 s 11 are each amended to read as follows:

    ((The record of survey and/or record of corner information filed with the county auditor of any county shall be securely fastened by him into suitable books provided for that purpose.

    He)) The auditor shall accept for recording those records of survey and records of corner information that are in compliance with the recorder's checklist as jointly developed by a committee consisting of the survey advisory board and two representatives from the Washington state association of county auditors.  This checklist shall be adopted in rules by the department of natural resources.

    (1) The auditor shall keep proper indexes of such record of survey by the name of owner and by quarter-quarter section, township, and range, with reference to other legal subdivisions.

    ((He)) (2) The auditor shall keep proper indexes of the record of corner information by section, township, and range.

    ((The original survey map shall be stored for safekeeping in a reproducible condition.  It shall be proper for the auditor to maintain for public reference a set of counter maps that are prints of the original maps.  The original maps shall be produced for comparison upon demand.))

    (3) After entering the recording data on the record of survey and all prints received from the surveyor, the auditor shall send one of the surveyor's prints to the department of natural resources in Olympia, Washington, for incorporation into the state-wide survey records repository.  However, the county and the department of natural resources may mutually agree to process the original or an electronic version of the original in lieu of the surveyor's print.

    (4) After entering the recording data on the record of corner information the auditor shall send a legible copy, suitable for scanning, to the department of natural resources in Olympia, Washington.  However, the county and the department of natural resources may mutually agree to process the original or an electronic version of the original in lieu of the copy.

    (5) The auditor shall permanently keep the original document filed using storage and handling processes that do not cause excessive deterioration of the document.  A county may be excepted from the requirement to permanently store the original document if it has a document scanning, filming, or other process that creates a permanent, archival record that meets or surpasses the standards as adopted in rule by the division of archives and records management in chapter 434-663 or 434-677 WAC.  The auditor must be able to provide full-size copies upon request.  The auditor shall maintain a copy or image of the original for public reference.

    (6) If the county has the capability to accept a digital signature issued by a licensed certification authority under chapter 19.34 RCW or a certification authority under the rules adopted by the Washington state board of registration for professional engineers and land surveyors, and can import electronic files into an imaging system, the auditor may accept for recording electronic versions of the documents required by this chapter.  The electronic version shall be a standard raster file format acceptable to the county.

    (7) This section does not supercede other existing recording statutes.

 


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