Recent changes in the Recorder of Deeds' Office in one of the counties we service has prompted me to start this thread.

Sadly, these changes are not for the better.  Some of them include:

1) Instead of having all resources located in a central facility, someone had the brilliant idea to move them to three (count 'em, three)  separate buildings!!  Computer Research Room is in the main courthouse; old deed books the 1980's and prior are across the street in a rented storage facility;  the indices for 1952 and prior are located in a third location (which, by the way, is where the Recorder's staff is also located).

2) The public has no clue as to how to use the computers because no county office personnel are available to assist them.

3) The conditions in the storage facility are deplorable, to say the least.  It is very poorly lit, with few tables or work surfaces.  I have personally witnessed abstractors completing their work while sitting on the floor.

4) The old, large canvas volumes in many cases were not placed in numerical order when they were moved.  It is very time-consuming to look for the volumes, if one can find them at all.

5) No copier in storage facility, which requires one to leave the building, with the pages to be copied, and walk across the street to the Prothonotary's office to make copies.  Apparently, anyone is allowed to do this, as there does not seem to be any control over what comes and goes.

6) When an older deed has an incorrect or missing recital, one must walk two-and-a-half blocks to the Recorder's office to run the indices.

7) When running the indices, there is often no room to open books.

8) Sometimes the wait for the one working microfiche machine is as long as an hour.

9) There have been problems with the older documents that were back-scanned.  A good many of these documents were not correctly scanned.

...and the list goes on.  Many of the abstractors who regularly cover this county have said they are losing money and time and may have to raise their fees to stay competitive.  60 year titles now take two to three times as long to complete.  Fortunately, my clients have been very understanding of this, but I'm sure their patience is wearing thin, and rightly so.  I'm just wondering how long it's going to be before a lawsuit is brought against this county.

Any other horror stories out there?  Just curious.

Regards,
Scott Perry