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An Act Concerning Fees for Users of County Registries of Deeds
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas,  the registry of deeds offices provide a valuable public service in recording and maintaining the land records of the State; and
Whereas,  current law allows the county commissioners to set fees for copying at only the cost of providing the copies; and
Whereas,  the cost to the counties to maintain the information and to make it accessible cannot be adequately reimbursed by fees defined by copying cost; and
Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 33 MRSA §751, sub-§14, as amended by PL 2009, c. 575, §2, is further amended to read:
 
14. Abstracts and copies.   Making abstracts and copies from the records, a reasonable fee as determined by the county commissioners for each category of abstracts and copies, such as paper copies, attested copies, copies obtained online and bulk transfers of copies. In setting a reasonable fee for each category of abstracts and copies, the commissioners shall consider the revenue needs of the county and factors relating to the cost of producing and making copies available, which may include, but are not limited to: the cost of depleted supplies; records storage media costs; actual mailing and alternative delivery costs or other transmitting costs; amortized infrastructure costs; any direct equipment operating and maintenance costs; costs associated with media processing time; personnel costs, including actual costs paid to private contractors for copying services; contract and contractor costs for database maintenance and for online provision and bulk transfer of copies in a manner that protects the security and integrity of registry documents; and a reasonable rate for the time a computer server is dedicated to fulfilling the request; and
Sec. 2. Retroactivity. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 1, section 302, this Act applies to any appeal from the Superior Court to the Supreme Judicial Court filed on or after February 1, 2011 and applies retroactively to September 1, 2009.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
 
SUMMARY
This bill allows county commissioners to consider the revenue needs of the county in establishing reasonable fees for copies and abstracts provided by the registry of deeds offices.