“With new consumer protection regulations instituted in late 2015, it was practical to create a flat fee, thereby eliminating one of the most common reasons for rejecting a document,” stated Register of Deeds Brandon Krause. “The flat fee should create a more smooth land title closing which only benefits our constituents and our economy,” he continued.
“This was a major collaboration of groups and associations,” stated Krause, “the cooperation and willingness to listen and negotiate was instrumental in attaining the flat fee which will be impactful for our constituents.”
“Michigan, again, uses common sense to see an issue and create a solution and is the only state to have a true flat fee,” he concluded.
It took 9 bills (SB 599, SB 600, SB 601, SB 602, SB 603, SB 604, SB 737; HB 5164 and HB 5165) to create the uniform fee. The language in the main bill, regarding MCL 600.2567, is inclusive of the Remonumentation fee as well as the automation fund fee, in this way, the average person is able to see in one statute what it costs to record a land document. These bills are now Public Acts 224 through 232 of 2016.
Senators Darwin Booher, District 35; Curtis Hertel, District 23; Peter MacGregor, District 28; and Dale Zorn, District 17; sponsored 7 of the 9 bills needed to create the flat fee legislation with Representatives Lee Chatfield, District 107 and Jeremy Moss, District 35 sponsoring the two House bills.
Brandon Krause
Register of Deeds
989-895-4228
Bay County MI