As the official custodian of public records, the Recorder’s Office plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity of our land and property system. eRecording has revolutionized how these important documents are received, recorded, and returned- benefiting both the public and the office staff.

In 2005, when the Minnesota Legislature increased the recording fees for real estate documents from $19.50 to $46.00, the intent was that these additional funds would be used primarily to support the transition to electronic recording. Then, in 2008, pursuant to Minnesota Statute 507.0945, the Legislature established standards to implement the electronic recording of land records statewide.

What is eRecording?

eRecording is the process of electronically submitting, receiving, reviewing and recording real estate documents. Instead of physically delivering, or mailing, documents to the Recorder’s Office, title companies, attorneys, lenders, and government agencies can send documents securely over the internet through a Trusted Submitter. This does not mean that anyone can email a document to us for recording. All eRecorded documents must go through a Trusted Submitter.

Benefits of eRecording

Implementing eRecording will provide numerous benefits for both the County and our constituents, including:

• Reduced paper usage, mailing costs, courier fees, and staff time
• Electronic payment of recording fees
• Shortened “gap” between closing and recording dates
• Rapid notice of rejected documents
• Elimination of lost documents during the recording process

While most document types are accepted through eRecording, a few exceptions remain- such as plats, certificates of redemption, “Safe at Home” participants, and Examiner of Titles pre-approval documents to name a few.

Cook County will be the last of 87 counties to implement eRecording! Currently, we are working with Minnesota Counties Information Systems and Tyler Technologies to get our eRecording module implemented. We will then begin training with hopes of offering the service sometime after the new year. As we implement changes, we will update our website and notify the community of what is available. We will continue to accept paper documents over the counter and by mail. eRecording simply adds an additional, more efficient option for document submission.

Please contact Holly Schroeder: 218-387-3661; [email protected] or Stephanie Radloff: 218-387-3660; [email protected], with any questions or further information.

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