HP1137, LD 1550, item 1, 125th Maine State Legislature
An Act To Change Document Filing Fees for County Registries of Deeds

PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
An Act To Change Document Filing Fees for County Registries of Deeds
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas,  filing fees for documents recorded at registries of deeds provide revenues for maintaining vital land records of the State and for county administration; and
Whereas,  other revenue sources counties use to maintain the information and to make it accessible have proven unreliable owing to ongoing legal challenges; and
Whereas,  the changes to the document filing fees made in this legislation need to be made as soon as possible in order to ensure continued funding for maintaining vital land records of the State and for county administration; and
Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 33 MRSA §751, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2005, c. 246, §1, is further amended to read:
 
1. Instruments generally.   Receiving, recording and indexing any instrument that may be recorded and for which a specific fee is not set forth in this section or in any other section, the sum of ~~$13~~$25 for the first record page and $2 for each additional record page or portion of an additional record page. In addition, if more than 4 names are to be indexed, a fee of $1 must be paid for each additional name, counting all grantors and grantees;
Sec. 2. 33 MRSA §751, sub-§9, as amended by PL 2005, c. 246, §2, is further amended to read:
 
9. Plans.   Recording, indexing and preserving plans, the sum of ~~$15~~$27;
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
 
SUMMARY
This bill increases the fee for recording an instrument, including plans, at all registries of deeds by $12.

HP1137, LR 2151, item 1,First Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature, page