What has happened to County offices / public offices, that we have to frequent for our jobs? They are elected ''public servants.'' However, that seems to have gone by the wayside lately more than ever. I have been a real estate title examiner since 1980 and I find the service aspect of their offices has been forgotten.

One County Recorder's office now refuses to make copies of the records in their office. They insist you come into their office and make them yourself. They say they are too busy to make copies. Even if you email them a list of copies in advance they won't make the copies and send them to you or have you come in and pick them up.

Another county, which closes at 4pn., won't accept copy request after 3:30 pm and their record room closes at 3:45 pm. If by chance there is nobody from the general public in the office between 3:45 pm. and 4pm, they lock up and go home for the day. Regardless that the rest of the courthouse is open until 4 pm. This same office has laminated signs posted all over the office of do's and don'ts as if the record room is frequented by kindergardners.

Another office also with multiple signs, has one that says if your copy request isn't turned in by 3:15 pm, they are a 4pm office, you may not receive your copies the same business day. I know a great majority of us title examiners have 100% remote access. However, the six Central Ohio counties my office serves, none of them have 100% access. We are still going to the county courthouses on a daily basis. I thought with computerzation and remote access my job would be easier. In some cases, it has, but too often it has become more tedious than it needs to be. Do I think anything will change, but this site seems to be the only place I can express my frustrations. 

We here in Central Ohio currently have a problem with the Fairfield County Clerk of Courts. It is bad enough that she is under investigation by various government agencies for questionable operating and spending procedures, but know it is just come to light that her office is ignoring court orders. Her office is a busy office, but it is fully staffed which makes it more of a puzzle why her office refuses to comply with court orders to perform her duties after a property has been sold at sheriff sale.

 When the common pleas judge signs the confirmation of sale and it is the filed in the clerk of courts office, there is an order in the confirmation directed to the clerk of courts to issue and file releases of various liens that affect the subject real property described in that foreclosure case. Her office has been negligent in doing so for many months now. The reason (company line) that we examiners are being told, and only after many inquires, is that staff member who handles that duty is on maternity leave. If that staff member is not there, that duty is no longer her responsibility. This duty falls back onto the elected official. There have been numerous properties that were sold at sheriff sale, sheriff deeds issue to a proper buyer and now that buyer is trying to sell that property clear of any liens that should have been discharged via the foreclosure sale. Now they cannot. Any attempt to get these court ordered releases filed in the County Recorder's office has been met with great ambivalence.

The bottom line is just because the property was sold at sheriff sale and the sheriff's deed is properly recorded, jus don't assume that all the liens in the foreclosure case have been discharged and released of record, especially in Fairfield County, Ohio.