Recently the Clerk started their E Recording program.  I dutifully set up my account and, just yesterday, finally had the opportunity to try it out.  The process is fairly simple:  Scan the documents you want to record, log into your account on the Clerk’s website, and upload the documents.  Now documents can be recorded immediately after a closing takes place.  The immediate recording can substanitally cut down on the “gap” – the time it takes from completeing the closing to recording the final documents.

So are there any downsides to electrontic recording?  Only time will tell.  The biggest difference that immediately comes to mind is the fact there is no original recorded document.  At least, what I think of as an original recorded document.  Prior to electronic recording, our office would courier closing documents to the courthouse and pick them up a few days later.  The documents would be returned with a nice little sticker on the upper portion of the documents.  The sticker would contain the recording infomration – book and page of recording, the tax collected and the consideration paid.  Now the only proof of recording is the receipt that you can print out when the documents is accepted by the Clerk – no more nice little stickers.  Time will tell how the system develops and how it will be accepted.  I do antcipate the day that all closings will be handled through the internet – electronic signatures, pdf documents and electronic recordings.  Will it ever come to the day that we will not need a physical recording department?  At the rate that we are relying more and more on computers, its not out of the question.