News from the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania

August/September 2023

Officials:

Diane O'Dwyer, Acting Recorder

Erin VanRyn, First Deputy

Nancy W. Pine, Esq., Solicitor

Mailing Address:

Chester County Recorder of Deeds

313 W. Market Street, Suite 3302

P.O. Box 2748

West Chester, PA 19382

Telephone: (610) 344-6330

Fax: (610) 344-6408

Email: RODinfo@chesco.org

Website: www.chesco.org/ recorder

Click "Records Search" in the website menu for records online.

Hours: The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Same-day document recording stops at 4:00 p.m. Same-day plan recording stops at 3:00 p.m.

Fees: For a full list, click here.

For more FAQs and an archive of past newsletters, please visit www.chesco.org/recorder.

Recorder Remarks

Hello Friends,

We hope this combined August/September issue of Good Deeds finds you well.

There has been a lot of talk recently regarding property or title theft. Scary ads on TV warn homeowners and ask them to sign up and purchase identity theft and title protection services.

If there is one thing you can do RIGHT NOW to protect your property, please sign up for our free Fraud Guard service, which we’ll talk about in detail later in this newsletter. Receive automatic deed change alerts directly from us as soon as any document is recorded in your name. You may still want to sign up for Identity Theft protection from these companies, but they are only monitoring our records when it comes to property in Chester County. They have no way to alert you prior to the fraud occurring.

As your Acting Recorder of Deeds, I assure you that I take our mission very seriously and our team works every day, through our standard operating procedures, to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our records.

For example, Chester County’s UPI (Universal Parcel Identifier) ordinance, implemented fully in 2001, provides a simple means of indexing land records and identifying ownership. Our Bureau of Land Records personnel check each land document for the correct UPI number and verify property ownership prior to recording the document. The UPI Law benefits all residents. It ensures that the county has a uniform standard for identifying every parcel of land within its borders. It ensures that each resident has access to maps, plans and other documents related to their property. It ensures a 911 location system which can direct emergency responders to the correct location of the emergency. It enables the county’s tax assessment offices to create and maintain accurate tax maps and databases along with other improvements to county land management.

The practice of eRecording documents also helps cut down on fraud by nature of the process. Attorneys, title professionals, and other submitters file documents electronically through our eRecording partners and that electronic original cannot be changed once sent to the Recorder’s office. Also, you don’t have to worry about check fraud with payments processed securely through ACH. Over 80% of our documents are now submitted through eRecording.

Another Fraud Prevention Initiative began in our office in 2020 in coordination with the Chester County Register of Wills. The Guardianship Fraud Prevention program is designed to protect our incapacitated seniors and disabled residents from any fraudulent transfer of their property. We track and compare proposed deeds with county guardianship orders to ensure an incapacitated person’s property is not transferred illegally.

We don’t see title fraud here in Chester County, but we are always vigilant, and if any case seems questionable, the District Attorney will be contacted.

Thank you for subscribing to Good Deeds. We will continue to distribute our newsletter to keep you up to date about happenings at the Recorder of Deeds office and offer useful information about our services. "Teamwork and Service" is our motto here at the ROD.

Please note, you can sign up for future publications here if you have received this in forward.

Diane O'Dwyer

Acting Recorder of Deeds

Veteran Expo 2023: Hosted by Sen. Katie Muth

On Saturday, September 23rd, our office attended the Veteran Expo Event at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, hosted by State Senator Katie Muth. At the event, we provided information on our veteran I.D. program. The Veteran I.D. card allows veterans to receive a wide-range of discounts with over one hundred participating business. The veteran receives the ID card after they they have recorded their DD-214 and the program is an additional incentive for veterans to record their discharge paperwork with our office. We also provided information on a number of our other services. We informed veterans concerned about the security of the property about our Fraud Guard program (see more below). In addition, we had on-site demonstrations about how to navigate our databases to find property records.

With fifty vendors and over two-hundred attendees, we would like to thank the staff of Senator Muth for organizing the event with their logistical expertise. It was a pleasure to interact with Chester County Veterans who shared their jokes, perspectives, and concerns about issues that continue to impact the Veteran Community.

Celebrating Labor Day

On September 4th, all Chester County offices were closed in celebration of Labor Day. Officially signed into law in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland, but observed for decades prior by labor activists and individual states, the holiday celebrates the contributions of American Laborers to our nation. In recent years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, we as a nation realized the necessity of having a strong, motivated, and brave workforce throughout various industries: first responders, health professionals, delivery drivers, and so many more.

If you are interested in learning more about the history of labor day and how the American workforce has developed over the years, visit the Smithsonian Institute's catalogue on Labor Day. We hope you celebrated the holiday at the various events all over the Chester County/Philadelphia area. We appreciate and continue to recognize the dedication, strength, and necessity of our national workforce who have proven to be essential to our day to day lives.

Fraud Guard

Be Vigilant and Subscribe to our Free Fraud Guard Service Today!

Fraud Guard puts your mind at ease by protecting you against potential cases of land records fraud. Sign up to receive notification when documents are recorded using your personal information. Fraud Guard sends you an automated email alert any time a document is recorded in our office using your name. You then decide if the recording is legitimate or fraudulent and take the necessary actions. This is the same function that for-profit companies offer; but they are only monitoring our records and then will notify you to call our office. Fraud Guard is free and cuts out the middleman and creates a direct contact between our office and property owners. Fraud Guard benefits Chester County homeowners, who can feel safer knowing that they have a form of protection, and helps our office ensure the transparent, efficient, and safe recordation of property records.

ROD Office Updates

Promotion(s) Alert!

We are excited to announce the promotions of two hard-working ROD staff members: Stephanie Lu, and Maria Gallagher. Both bring a little something special to our office and are integral to the smooth operation of day-to-day affairs. Stephanie is a multi-tasker and is always eager to serve and help the public. Maria joined us in August of last year and has proven to be an exceptional recorder with her prior work in the title industry transitioning perfectly into the functions of our office. Congratulations to our valued team members on their well deserved promotions!

Welcome Chris Samsel

We are happy to announce the newest member of the Recorder of Deeds team, Chris Samsel. Chris' first day was August 7th as a Document Recording Technician I. Prior to joining our team, she worked in the mortgage industry and as a financial coordinator for an orthodontist office. In her leisure time, Chris enjoys reading, going to local theater shows, traveling, and spending time with her husband of thirty years Jeff and their three children. With Chris' prior work in the field, we are excited for the insight and wisdom she will bring to the office!

A Warm Goodbye to Liz Collins

A warm goodbye to a longtime ROD staff member and dedicated employee Liz Collins as she moves to the private sector as a property manager. If you have ever recorded in person, you had the pleasure of meeting Liz at the BLR counter where she was our BLR specialist for 10+ years. We appreciate all the wonderful years we had with Liz and will always remember her sense of humor, friendly attitude, and fun stories about her adorable children. We thank Liz for her dedication to the public in her time with the ROD and wish her the best of luck in all her new endeavors!

Remembering the Life of John Doran

With heavy hearts, we are sad to announce the passing of long time Recorder of Deeds staff member, John Doran. In John’s eighteen years with us, he brightened everyone’s day with his engaging storytelling, funny jokes, and wonderful smile. A Veteran himself from 1959-1963, John was instrumental in the implementation of the ROD’s Veteran program which he oversaw with passion. Although we mourn John’s passing, we celebrate his life through shared memories of his time as a public servant and as a dedicated friend, husband, father, and grandfather. Thank you, John. You will be missed.

The ROD Tree decked out in back to school gear!

Recorded Documents: YTD

34,168

as of 9/28/23

84%

eRecording

News from the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania

August/September2023

County of Chester, Recorder of Deeds | Website