DEPARTMENT: Property Taxation and Records
FILE TYPE: Regular Information
TITLE
title
Overview Of New Property Document Services, Recommended New Fees Associated With Services And Update On Mapping Prejudice Project
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PURPOSE/ACTION REQUESTED
Provide overview of new Property Document Services, recommended new fees associated with the services and provide an update on the Mapping Prejudice Project in Dakota County.
SUMMARY
The Property Taxation and Records Department is introducing two new online property document retrieval services to provide additional access to recorded documents and keep property owners informed. Staff will present an overview of the new services and the recommendation of associated fees.
RecordEASE Occasional User: Property Taxation and Records Department implemented RecordEASE Land Records system from West Central Indexing (WCI) in May 2015 and has since digitized all historic abstract and Torrens documents, which are now searchable in RecordEASE. The public currently may research these digitized documents online via a RecordEASE subscription account with monthly fees - paid by the user - or by using public terminals in County buildings.
The RecordEASE Occasional User Online Portal will allow one-time or infrequent users to search Dakota County property records remotely and download documents without maintaining a subscription and payment of the monthly subscription fee. The occasional users pay individual fees by credit card to Dakota County for remote access to property documents, which may be more cost effective than a subscription. In addition to enhancing customer service, this service will result in greater internal efficiencies for staff. The recommended RecordEASE Occasional User Fees are as follows:
2024 RecordEASE Occasional User Fees
Online Access $5.00
Search $1.00
View Document $2.00
View Certificate (Torrens) $3.00
View Tract Page $3.00
View Tract Card $3.00
The proposed fees are comparable to services provided by other counties and align with the Dakota County RecordEASE Web Subscription Fee Schedule (See Attachment).
The Property Taxation and Records Department will schedule a public hearing pursuant to Minn. Stat. § 373.41 and seek County Board approval to amend the 2024 Fee Schedule, Resolution No. 23-467 (October 23, 2023), to add the new fees related the RecordEASE Occasional User service. The RecordEASE Occasional User Portal will be available to the public upon approval of an amendment of the 2024 Dakota County Fee Schedule.
Property Watch: Property Watch is a new service for Dakota County property owners to monitor their property and combat the effect of property fraud. This service is free of charge and available by subscribing to the service. Subscribers will receive an email or text alert when anything is recorded on or against their property. This service will be available in late April 2024.
Staff will also provide an update on the Mapping Prejudice Project in Dakota County, detailing the completion of the mapping process and the status of discharging racially restrictive covenants in Dakota County.
RECOMMENDATION
recommendation
Information only; no action requested.
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EXPLANATION OF FISCAL/FTE IMPACTS
There is no budget request for the services. The newly established fees for the RecordEASE Occasional User Portal will offset merchant fees absorbed by the county to digitize these documents and provide an estimated $40,000 in fee revenue annually. There is no cost associated with the implementation of RecordEASE Occasional User and Property Watch services.
☐ None ☐ Current budget ☒ Other
☐ Amendment Requested ☐ New FTE(s) requested
RESOLUTION
body
Information only; no action requested.
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PREVIOUS BOARD ACTION
23-467; 10/23/23
14-539; 11/25/14
ATTACHMENTS
Attachment: RecordEASE Fee Schedule
BOARD GOALS
☐ A Great Place to Live ☐ A Healthy Environment
☐ A Successful Place for Business and Jobs ☒ Excellence in Public Service
CONTACT
Department Head: Amy Koethe
Author: Amy Koethe