UPDATE 11AM - THURSDAY DEC 3- 2015 

The Nassau County Clerk's Office has confirmed the block fee increase will be effective Monday, December 7 and the payment system will be updated to accept the new fee.

Calls to the County Assessment Office have not been returned but we are informed the increased tax map fee will be posted on the County web site as Local Law 9.

- RGT

As we have been reporting, Section 19-17.0 of the Nassau County Administrative Code has been amended to increase recording fees from $150 to $300. In separate legislation, the Tax Map Verification Letter fee will increase from $75 to $225.

These laws were delivered to the Department of State today.

Our contacts in Albany inform me that the law will take effect "immediately" on being read-in by the Secretary of State.

You can monitor the situation here:

https://www.nassaucountyny.gov/525/Local-Laws    Look for "local law 8 of 2015”.

This article from National Mortgage News is yet another instance of a phenomenon called disintermediation.

In plain English, it means "getting rid of the middle man", like finding your home on Zillow instead of driving around with a Realtor, or booking your hotel, rental car and flight on a web site rather than calling a travel agent. No doubt some folks reading this have never used a travel agent or know what one is - that's disintermendiation at work.

This article describes the rise of direct to consumer mortgage lending. It is a real thing.  

 http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/news/origination/no-longer-a-niche-consumer-direct-lenders-lead-mortgage-innovation-1064448-1.html?zkPrintable=1&nopagination=1 

These changes are already hitting the title industry along the edges with eRecording and dozens of NY counties already allow searching/examining land records via the web.

In 1999, I worked on the consumer launch of The First Internet Bank, referenced in the article. At the time, we had no idea what would come of it. 

We may like it or not, but change is inexorable.  

I guess its true - there is nothing as powerful as an idea whose time has come. 

Nassau County Clerk’s Office:  System Update – Three (3) Weeks Since “System Upgrade”

1.       On any given day there are up to 100 searchers (examiners) using the Nassau County Clerk’s Office. Most are in the basement where the majority of the searching takes place. 

2.       There are 17 computer terminals available in the basement for one (1) hour use only. These 17 terminals are on the ”New System” (by Xerox) which contains data from January 1, 1992 to June 30, 2015.

3.       Searchers must sign in to get a place in line for the next available terminal.  Clerks monitor the terminal time use and move people out when their 1 hour expires.

4.       Printing requests go to a queue where the clerk must print and paperclip everything. The clerk has run out of paper and then has to place a service call for a paper delivery delaying everyone.

5.       Documents are missing from the new system (for example 2007, 2013) and more are being discovered.  When recorded documents are identified as missing, the clerks are notified and they in turn will have the I.T. staff search the old system for them and transfer copies to the new system.

6.       There are two (2) terminals (called A & B) available for use in the basement that access the “Old System”.  They can only be used by an examiner for one half (½) hour.  The effective date for that data system is currently 10/1/2015. 

7.       There are another two (2) terminals  working on the “Old System” upstairs on the first floor.  They have a 15 minute time limit.

8.       As of 10/20/2015 there is no word on when the “New Online System” will be ready for use.  No one has seen it yet, nor do they know the costs surrounding its use.

9.       The clerk is placing blame for the problem on the county manager for not allowing greater spending on a new system (rumored to be $30K).  The county manager is blaming the clerk and Xerox for all the delays.

10.   The old “Examiner Room” is now full of disconnected terminals that are no longer being used.

11.   “It is What It Is” so searchers/Examiners are all on a level playing field, albeit challenging and wrought with pitfalls.  Each must manages the back and forth between new and old systems, scheduling terminal time, all while negotiating the print queue and waiting, waiting, waiting.

12.   E-recordings are up and working and I believe people can also  walk on papers if necessary (although it is frowned upon).

The problems continue with the County Clerk's computer system in Nassau County.

The uncertainty and disruption during this change-over has not always brought out the best in any of us.

I have no doubt that this situation was not what County Clerk O'Connell or her staff ever wanted.

There will be days when progress is two steps forward and one step back - get used to it. That is the 21st Century world of software enabled commerce.

We will continue to monitor and report on this situation as it resolves and we look forward to improved channels of communication with Clerk O'Connell on a regular basis.

Members are encouraged to comment and non-members may email comment to me for review and posting.

Here is what you will not find in Nassau County this morning:

• Lis pendens are not indexed in the new system
• All three major eRecording companies are no longer accepting documents for Nassau County
• You won't find a County Clerk (or her staff)

I called the Clerk a few minutes ago. Understandably she and her entire staff are in a meeting. One hopes they are working to address these issues.

Members have called to say additional computers have been connect to the old system and there are computers running both systems to enable checking the completeness of the recorded data.

The eRecordng companies say they will resume eRecording in Nassau AFTER they have completed their independent testing of the system integrity.

It would be wrong to say Clerk O'Connell and her staff are doing nothing.  I cannot believe they are happy about this and I am certain they want things fixed and running smoothly.

In my message, I requested additional staff be put on to accept walk-in recordings and I urged them to communicate the status on a regular basis.  That would help diminish the fear and concern borne of uncertainty.

To Members - please note the Title Section is meeting to consider remedies.  I will report on the progress of that initiative as best as I am able.

Members can add comments. Non-members can email comments for posting to rgt@nyslta.org AND rcapone@nyslta.org.