Alaska became the third multi-jurisdictional state in which 100 percent of its recording jurisdictions are e-recording enabled. Colorado was first and Arizona second. Hawaii also claims 100 percent with its state-based recording system.
According to state recorder, Vicky Backus, “Alaska is divided into 34 recording districts which are under the jurisdiction of the State of Alaska so recording is handled at the state level not in the borough or municipality. We initially looked into building our own internal e-recording system but we also shopped around to see what was available. Alaska began e-recording in 2012 at our Anchorage office and expanded out from there. Effective January 2014, Alaska can boast having all 34 recording districts set up for e-recording.”
E -recording is the process of submitting electronic documents to a land records office which receives and examines those documents, calculates fees and receives electronic payment for those documents, as well as the subsequent electronic return of the recorded documents to the submitter.
“E-recording hit another milestone with one more state falling into the 100 percent column,” said David Ewan, PRIA president and underwriting counsel for Westcor Land Title Insurance Co. “We hope to increase the pace of full-participation states by developing seamless implementation strategies through the use of the PRIA e-recording eXcellence Work Group.”
“It’s exciting to see so many embracing this technology and, along with the technology, the PRIA standards,” said Larry Burtness, recorder, Washoe County, Nev., PRIA vice president and co-chair of the technology committee.