(March 24, 2008) – It might have looked like any other mortgage received by the Allen County Recorder’s Office on a given day, but document number 2008014586 was unique.

Recorded on Monday (March 24, 2008), that mortgage was unique because it became the first document to be electronically recorded by a County Recorder’s Office in Indiana.

Electronic recording saves significant time and labor in the recording process, both on the part of the customer submitting the document and in the Recorder’s Office.  The customer avoids a trip downtown, a wait in line and the chance of having to go back and repeat the process if something substantial is missing from the document or incorrect.  The Recorder’s Office avoids handling and tracking of the paper document, initial data entry and scanning to produce a digital image.

The potential time commitment involved in manually recording documents grows if the transaction is done by mail, which is the case for many large mortgage and out-of-town law firms, title companies and others.  Errors or omissions can result in delays of days or longer in recording.

Another document electronically recorded on Monday, but rejected because it was missing essential information, was corrected and re-submitted in less than two hours.

“Our office records documents from all over the country and even around the world,” said Allen County Recorder John McGauley.  “Electronic recording opens the door to fast and immediate service for our customers, no matter where they are or what time of day they are working.”

E-Recording is part of the Fidlar Technologies land records search and online access system the Allen County Recorder’s Office implemented in 2007.  It is accessible online and documents can be submitted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, although processing occurs only during business hours.