OBL Action Prompts Form Standardization Corrections
On Dec. 28, Gov. Strickland signed into law language drafted by the OBL that corrects problems banks have encountered regarding standardization of forms filed with individual counties. Thanks to an emergency clause, the law became effective the day it was signed.
As reported two weeks ago in Ohio Banker Direct, a law took effect on July 1 imposing specific format requirements for documents recorded with a county recorder. Though county recorders were to accept documents that did not conform to the new paper size, font, margin and ink standards, they were required to charge a new $20 fee. Many charged the fee for minor discrepancies like signatures that extended into the margin.

The OBL pursued a correction because there were vastly different interpretations of the law, some of which were quite extreme. Exempt items that may now appear in the margins without triggering the fee include: (1) page numbers; (2) initials - hand written, typed, or printed; (3) bar codes and internal tracking information; (4) copyright information; (5) portions of signatures; (6) endorsement stamps, notary seals, signatures, and initials do not need to meet the 10-point font requirement; and (7) a ny other incidental information that is not essential to the recording process or to the legal validity of the document.
If you have related questions or experience difficulties recording documents at your county courthouse, please contact Mike Adelman, OBL vice president of state government relations at (614) 340-7616.

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