The Berrien County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Thursday expressing the county’s opposition to proposed state legislation that would impose new restrictions on and limits on what the county Treasurer and Register of Deeds offices can charge for official records.
According to the resolution, the state legislation is being lobbied for by real estate marketplace corporation Zillow. The resolution argues that for-profit corporations like Zillow would be able to demand official records for a significant discount or no charge at all, and then benefit financially from them. The county resolution was endorsed by Treasurer Shelly Weich and Register of Deeds Lora Freehling.
“If those bills pass, it could significantly reduce revenues collected for copies [of documents],” Freehling said. “It basically takes funds that we use to pay for the office, and then would put a burden on the taxpayer.”
Additionally, the county argued that the legislation also would put taxpayers at risk of fraud because of data mining that will occur if enacted. The bills– Michigan HB’s 4729-4732 – were introduced in 2021, but have not advanced in congress.
