FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1647

                         C 233 L 99

                     Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Amending recording statutes.

Sponsors:  By House Committee on Local Government (Originally sponsored by Representatives Mulliken, Dunshee and Scott).

  House Committee on Local Government

Senate Committee on State & Local Government

Background:

County auditors record deeds and other written instruments, and are authorized to copy, preserve, and index documents filed with the county.  County auditors are required to charge fees for services and to act as clerk for the board of county commissioners.

Summary:

Numerous outdated language references are changed, processes are streamlined, and some processes applicable to the standardization process that applies to recorded documents are clarified.  Substantive changes include the following:

$County auditors are authorized to keep a separate tax lien index listing from the general index provided by the county commissioners.

$The recording statutes are updated to add the definition of "legible and capable of being imaged," which means documents must be suitable to produce a readable image, effectively updating for technology.

$The definition of an abbreviated legal description used when recording is expanded to include quarter/quarter sections.

$The document for a recording must be sufficiently clear enough to image the document, and only bar codes or address labels may be affixed to the pages.

$Certain documents are exempt from recording format requirements.

$The county auditor is authorized to charge "appropriate recording fees"  to record the liens on real estate replacing the 50 cent charge.

$County auditors authority to accept non-standard recording documents is added under certain circumstances, for a $50 fee.

Votes on Final Passage:

House  94 0

Senate 44 1 (Senate amended)

House  96 1 (House concurred)

Effective: August 1, 1999