Brief Description: Restricting the information on recorded documents.

Sponsors: By Representatives Takko, Haigh, Roberts, Hankins, Ericks, Haler, Lovick, McCoy and Chase.

House Committee on Local Government
Senate Committee on Government Operations & Elections

Background:

Statute specifies numerous duties and responsibilities for the county auditor, including directives pertaining to financial and election administration. Among other duties, the auditor is the recorder of deeds and other instruments in writing that must be filed and recorded in and for the county for which he or she is elected.

Counties operating under a charter form of government may provide for an official other than the auditor to record instruments in the county records. This official may be a "recording officer."

Instruments presented to the county auditor or recording officer for recording must satisfy statutory requirements. These include requirements pertaining to document margins, applicable names, addresses, and reference information. Additionally, auditors and recording officers must satisfy specific requirements when instruments for filing or recording are received.

Summary:

When any instrument, except those generated by governmental agencies, is presented to a county auditor or recording officer for recording, the document may not contain the following information: a social security number; a date of birth identified with a particular person; or the maiden name of a person's parent so as to be identified with a particular person.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   94   0
Senate   49   0

Effective: July 24, 2005