In MN.. it is getting to be common practice to combine the offices of the auditor/treasurer and recorder and sometimes the GIS and assessors offices into one head of the dept. to avoid such practice outside the public interest as a "neutral 3rd party to all transactions".. which the recorders office is, when they take their oaths.  Just get a copy of their oath, and it will tell you what they are suppose to be doing as to conflicts of interest.