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A package of bills in the State House is drawing the ire of the Michigan Association of the Registers of Deeds. House bills 4729-4732 would change the fee structure that county officials can charge for property record requests. The current rate is one dollar per page, in many cases below what a public library mandates for using their printer or scanning documents.
Houghton County Register of Deeds Jennifer Kelly says that her office maintains records dating back 150 years. That requires sensitive, climate controlled conditions. Even though there is an ongoing attempt to make all documents available on microfilm and in other electronic formats, Kelly says that takes a lot of time and money.
Kelly says that if her office is not able to raise money through record requests, she will have to ask for more support from county taxpayers instead. Keweenaw Report has asked for comment at county level and will update the story if we hear back. One of the approved agenda items at Tuesday’s meeting was a rate increase for processing vital records. Kelly said the move brings Houghton County’s fees closer to what is charged in Marquette County, and is the first increase in over 20 years.
