Allegan County Clerk. Register of Deeds Annual Report. and

Transcription

1 Allegan County Clerk and 2009 Annual Report Register of Deeds Prepared by: Joyce A. Watts, County Clerk Register of Deeds Joan L. Nagel, Chief Deputy County Clerk Patricia Fales, Chief Deputy Register of Deeds

2 - 1 - Record Volume Comparison County Clerk s Office Vital Records Record Type Birth Records Death Records Marriage Licenses Concealed Weapons Permits Passports * Notary Public DBA/Co-Partnerships Filed Vital Records Filed 3,777 3,598 2,840 3,164 3,116 * Effective 2/1/08 fees paid to Acceptance Agencies was decreased by $5.00 per passport. Circuit Court Filings Circuit Court Cases Pending-Beginning of Year New Cases Filed Re-opened Cases Caseload For Year 2,400 2,719 2,742 2,768 2,748 Family Court Filings Case Type Juvenile Cases 1,546 1,411 1,340 1, Adoptions Filings 1,669 1,514 1,439 1,321 1,185 Personal Protection Orders Type Filed PPOs - Adult PPOs - Juvenile Filings

3 - 2 - ELECTIONS Election Date Unit or Municipality # of Precincts Notes May 5 Aug. 4 Schools: Allegan Public 10 pct. Fennville Public 8 pct. Glenn School District 1 pct. 25,915 Ballots Hamilton Community 8 pct. Hopkins Public 7 pct. Martin Public 5 pct. Reimbursement: Otsego Public 4 pct. Co./5 pct. Out $ 50, Plainwell Community 4 pct. Co./6 pct. Out Saugatuck Public 4 pct. Turn-out 9.02% Wayland Union 6 pct. Co./3 pct. Out Wayland City Council 1 pct. Delton Kellogg 1 pct. Caledonia 1 pct. Holland Public 2 pct. Hudsonville 1 pct. Zeeland 3 pct. Bloomingdale 3 pct. Gobles 1 pct. Saugatuck School District 4 precincts 3,965 Ballots [Re-submission of failed millage for the school system] Turn-out 47% Reimbursement: $3, County-Wide-911 surcharge 34 Precincts 52,375 Ballots South Haven Schools Nov. 3 General Allegan City Council Douglas City Council Fennville City Council Otsego City Council Saugatuck City Council Reimbursement: $46, Turn-out 13.64% 7765 Registrations sorted and mailed to local clerks. Reimbursement - $ Reimbursement for programming costs: August: $

4 - 3 - Election Date Unit Or Municipality Type Of Proposal Pass or Fail May 5, 2009 Allegan Public Operating Renewal Pass Bloomingdale School Operating Renewal Pass Fennville Public Operating Renewal Pass Holland Schools Operating Renewal Pass Hamilton Community Operating Renewal Pass Hopkins Public Operating Renewal Pass Hudsonville Schools Operating Renewal Pass Martin School Bonding Proposal Pass Saugatuck Public Operating Renewal Failed Building & Site Sinking Fund Failed [failed previpious Aug.] Lee Township First Responder Millage Renewal Pass Saugatuck Township Road Maintenance Renewal Pass Aug. 4, 2009 Saugatuck School Operating Renewal Pass Nov. 3, 2009 Central Dispatch 911 Surcharge Pass Casco Township Senior Millage Renewal Pass Ganges Township Local Referendum Pass Hamilton Schools Bonding Proposal Pass Martin Township Restore Lost Operating Mills Pass Overisel Township Road Millage Renewal Pass So. Haven Schools Bonding Proposal Pass Allegan City Dam Improvement Proposal Pass

5 Month Recording Copy REVENUE COMPARISON REGISTER OF DEEDS 2009 Search MSSR Automation Fund over/under Computer Services Monthly Service Documents Processed Jan 24, , , , , , , , , Feb 32, , , , , , , , , Mar 31, , , , , , , , , , Apr 39, , , , , , , , , May 36, , , , , , , , , Jun 36, , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 200, , , , , , , ,154, , ,745 2,136 Jul 29, , , , , , , , , Aug 23, , , , , , , , , Sep 24, , , , , , , , , Oct 27, , , , , , , , , Nov 24, , , , , , , , , , Dec 28, , , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 157, , ,122, , , , ,610, , ,007 2, TOTAL 358, , ,790, , , , ,764, , ,752 4,453 Month Recording Copy Search MSSR 2008 Automation Fund over/under Computer Services Monthly Service Documents Processed Jan 28, , , , , , , , , Feb 29, , , , , , , , , Mar 33, , , , , , , , , Apr 41, , , , , , , , , May 30, , , , , , , , , Jun 29, , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 194, , ,043, , , , , ,565, , ,649 2,510 Jul 26, , , , , , , , , Aug 23, , , , , , , , , Sep 22, , , , , , , , , Oct 25, , , , , , , , , Nov 18, , , , , , , , , Dec 20, , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 138, , , , , , , ,400, , ,296 2, TOTAL 332, , ,006, , , , , ,965, , ,945 5,065 Land s Land s

6 Month Recording Copy Search MSSR Automation Fund Computer Services Monthly Service Documents Processed Land s Jan 38, , , , , , , , , Feb 30, , , , , , , , , Mar 35, , , , , , , , , Apr 41, , , , , , , , , May 37, , , , , , , , , Jun 33, , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 215, , ,297, , , , ,875, , ,397 2,502 Jul 35, , , , , , , , , Aug 35, , , , , , , , , Sep 30, , , , , , , , , Oct 35, , , , , , , , , Nov 29, , , , , , , , , Dec 31, , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 198, , ,632, , , , ,225, , ,069 2, TOTAL 413, , ,930, , , , ,101, , ,466 5,484 Month Recording Copy Search 2006 MSSR Automation Fund Computer Services Monthly Service Documents Processed Land s Jan 37, , , , , , , , , , Feb 33, , , , , , , , , , Mar 40, , , , , , , , , , Apr 42, , , , , , , , , , May 49, , , , , , , , , , Jun 43, , , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 247, , ,964, , , , , ,709, , ,490 2,972 Jul 34, , , , , , , , , , Aug 43, , , , , , , , , , Sep 36, , , , , , , , , , Oct 42, , , , , , , , , Nov 40, , , , , , , , , Dec 31, , , , , , , , , mos. TOTAL 230, , ,660, , , , , ,319, , ,170 2, TOTAL 477, , ,625, , , , , ,029, , ,660 5,855

7 - 6 - # of Documents Recorded Pages Recorded # of Land s Recorded Value of Land red # of Mortgages Recorded Value of Mortgages Year , ,519 6, ,266, ,296 1,876,327, , ,936 5, ,633, ,656 6,465,999, ,945 93,271 5, ,544, ,903 19,735,320, , ,031 4, ,945, ,355 68,689, [Good News] [Bad News] Year # Notices of Commencement Master Deeds [Condos] # of Foreclosures Value of Foreclosures # Redemptions Value of Redemptions ,246, ,726, ,144, ,672, ,122,953, ,548, ,689, ,577, Year Value Fed. Liens Value MESC Liens Value State Liens Value General Liens ALL Liens Farmland Agreements [For Casey] ,453, , , ,901, ,233, ,399, , ,736, ,720, ,928, ,975, , ,037, ,315, ,789, ,094, , ,414, ,863, ,675, AVERAGES Year Documents Recorded/Month Mo. Avg. Pages Mo. Avg. Mo. Avg. Service Yearly Deposit to GF Yearly Operating Costs ,638 11,793 49, , ,131, , ,297 10,661 39, , , , ,995 7,773 30, , , , ,063 9,586 26, , , ,089.08

8 - 7 - SUMMARY: CLERK S OFFICE Revenues: Budgeted Actual Difference Revenues 2006 $403, $460, $57, Increase Revenues 2007 $429, $409, $19, Shortfall Revenues 2008 $421, $446, $25, Increase Revenues 2009 $397, $429, $31, Increase Expenditures: Expenditures 2006 $582, $567, $14, Turnback Expenditures 2007 $592, $582, $10, Turnback Expenditures 2008 $624, $621, $ 2, Turnback Expenditures 2009 $664, $587, $57, Turnback ELECTIONS Expenditures: Expenditures $162, $101, $61, Turnback Expenditures $136, $ 74, $62, Turnback Expenditures $167, $138, $29, Turnback Expenditures $119, $103, $15, Turnback REGISTER OF DEEDS Revenues Revenues 2006 $1,435, $1,145, $289, Shortfall Revenues 2007 $1,162, $ 931, $230, Shortfall Revenues 2008 $ 815, $ 760, $ 54, Shortfall Revenues 2009 $740, $768, $ 27, Increase Expenditures Expenditures 2006 $325, $313, $11, Turnback Expenditures 2007 $328, $321, $ 7, Turnback Expenditures 2008 $339, $339, $ Turnback Expenditures $321, $312, $ 9, Turnback

9 What the Numbers Mean Clerk s Office Vital Records The number of records filed in the Clerk s office strongly reflects our hard economic times. The only record series which has experienced growth in 2009 would be the gun permits. The number of permits issued by the office has doubled from People still think Obama is after their weapons. Birth and death records are required to be filed in the county where the event occurred; not in the county where the individual resides. Do not expect to see people moving to Allegan County in droves because of our declining death rate! We are again seeing a decrease in the number of Death Records filed in this county mainly because of our aging population who many times are hospitalized for age-related illness prior to death and these hospitalizations occur outside the county. Birth Records have fallen off since we file records only from the home births that occur in the county. Now that Allegan General Hospital has closed their maternity service, residents go to out of county facilities to have their children delivered. The number of marriage licenses and passport applications are down due to the economy. We are seeing a slight increase in the DBA/Co-Partnerships filed. Many times people who cannot find jobs will start their own businesses. Court Records - The Circuit Court caseload remains relatively stable. We are seeing a slight reduction in the Family Court Filings which is consistent with the decline that started in The number of personal protection orders being filed is remaining relatively stable, also. We have disbursed $113, to victims for whom restitution has been paid and are making progress on indentifying past victims we have not been able to locate. Linda Lenahan has graciously offered to assist in locating these individuals later this year. Elections: 2009 was not an election-year ; there were no state-wide issues. However, for the May school election, we programmed 84 splits, 4 precincts in August and 34 precincts in November a very busy non-election-year. School reimbursements for the May election totaled $50,654.24, and we were reimbursed $3, for the special election in the Saugatuck school district. Central Dispatch paid us $46, for the 911 surcharge election; $22, of which came to the county for programming costs, ballots and supplies and the remainder [$23,908.86] was paid to the local municipalities to reimburse them for their costs.

10 Register of Deeds Office: Recording volume in the Register of Deeds office increased slightly in Unfortunately, the increase was not in land transfers. tax collections are down and after adjustment to remove the tax paid on foreclosures it is obvious the value of property being transferred is significantly reduced from previous years. The number of foreclosures continues to increase, but these are some of the lowest numbers in the state. Redemptions from foreclosure have remained just under 30 per year. I am enclosing an article on foreclosures to show you where we are in west Michigan compared to the rest of the nation. To get the real picture in the Register s office, [on page 4] look at the amount of Service collected which total $452, for (Service fees are fees earned for performing a search, making a record copy or for recording land records. The more efficiently we work, the more we earn.) Now look at the summary figures on page 5 which show the operating costs for this office in 2009 which total $312, We returned $140,000 to the general fund just from the service fees collected and a total of $317, from transfer tax. Slowly, we are working our way back toward the million dollar mark! The downturn in the economy has afforded us time to back-enter historic records into the computer system. The records in the Register of Deeds office are the official, permanent land records of the county that we are required to keep forever. A few weeks ago, we heard that the pipes froze above the Register s office in Gladwin County and this necessitated costly preservation efforts to reclaim the records. Our records conversion efforts allow us to reclaim office space and provide us with an electronic means of reproducing the records we have converted. This greatly reduces our liability if a disaster should affect the county building. Plus, the Automation fund pays for the conversion of the records, so no general fund money needs to be diverted to protect and preserve the records on which our entire taxing structure is based.

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