County recorder asks supervisors to support bill to increase recorder fees

The last time county recorders in Iowa raised their prices — from $3 per page to a whopping $5 per page — Michael Jordan was named “Rookie of the Year,” Mike Tyson made his pro boxing debut, Ronald Reagan was enjoying his second term, Blockbuster opened its first store and Cherry Coke officially hit shelves.

Since then Jordan has solidified his GOAT legacy with a hit documentary while Tyson squandered his in a bout against social media influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul; Reagan’s spiritual successor is about to enjoy his second term, movie rental stores don’t even exist and Cherry Coke is enjoyed with vanilla these days.

But those prices in the recorder’s office? Well, those have stayed the same.

Jasper County Recorder Denise Allan said the fees have remained the same since 1985, but a new proposal advocated by the Iowa County Recorders Association hopes to change that this coming legislative session. Allan said the proposed fee modernization bill will be introduced the Iowa Legislature in 2025.

According to documents included in the agenda, the bill aims to simplify and increase recording fees to $10 per page. Iowa County Recorders Association said the price is still well below the $14.62 inflation-adjusted rate for 2024. Other “add-on” fees are to be eliminated, too, and large documents will be capped.

“This proposed legislation is being introduced to increase recording fees, to modernize recording policies and practices and to do some cleanup in the Iowa Code. Recording fees have not increased since 1985, which is almost 40 years. To put that into perspective, I was 25 years old,” Allan, 65, said.

The current rates are actually $7 for the first page and then $5 for each additional page. So if someone wanted one page, it would cost $7; if they wanted four pages it would cost $22. The proposed bill would make one page cost $10 and four pages cost $40. Again, the association argues the prices are below inflation.

Additionally, the bill proposes both the $1 records management fee and the $1 electronic transaction fee be removed while adding a $7 transaction fee for multi-transaction documents with reasonable limits. The proposed recording fees are also well below the fees from a number of surrounding states.

Allocation of the moneys collected from the fees will go toward a number of funds. Allan said $3 of every document will go toward Iowa Land Records operations and projects, $2 will go towards the Recording Technology Fund for technology needs and then the remaining will go toward county general funds.

“Revenue generated by recorders goes to the county general fund, which helps reduce property taxes,” Allan said. “I might add that every project I’ve done, like digitizing, I’ve always contributed money from the record management fund, which is not taxpayer dollars. That is money that comes from recording.”

Smaller counties do not always have the means for new technology or lack the ability to digitize their records. By doubling the amount of money allocated to the recording technology fund, Allan added, will benefit all recorders in Iowa. Since the fees would be going up, so would the revenue to the county.

Allan has served as the county recorder since 2015. Other county recorders will likely be looking for support from their affiliates to help the bill move to the statehouse, much in the same way Allan did by discussing it with Jasper County supervisors who seemed ready to write a letter of support on the spot.

“It is the Iowa County Recorders Association’s hope that our county affiliates will support us as we move forward and into the upcoming legislative session,” Allan said to the board of supervisors. “The office right now has been slow the past few years, and we’re hoping for a turnaround.”

Even so, the Jasper County Recorder’s Office has contributed about $500,000 in both state and county recording fees.

“The people we work with, their costs are not the same they were 40 years ago either,” Allan said. “It’s time.”