Wisconsin Land Information Association Presentation March 4, 2004

Duties of Wisconsin Register of Deeds Process, protect and provide access to: Real Estate Documents Vital Records (Births, Deaths, Marriage & Military Discharges)

PROBLEM/CHALLENGE: State budget deficit caused reduction in aids to Counties, which in turn caused hiring freezes and cut-backs. At the same time, demand for service and workloads have increased due to low interest rates.

REAL ESTATE DOCUMENTS RECORDED IN DANE COUNTY

Help! We are drowning in documents!!

SOLUTION/ANSWER: Make current staff more productive Offer online service so citizens and firms can help themselves

What technologies are being used in the Offices of the Register of Deeds in Wisconsin?

Computerized indexing and imaging systems

Computerized indexing & imaging Efficient receipting & recording, accurate bookkeeping Efficient indexing Efficient scanning to preserve images Both index & images are immediately accessible Both index & images may be sent to remote locations Reduces staff time shuffling papers Back-up copies of index & images are made efficiently Reduces storage space & frees up valuable office space Allows many questions about recorded documents to be answered in a fast and effective manner

Online tax assessment databases

New: Tax Status & Show Map

Online tax assessment databases Offers answers about assessment information Offers answers about PIN/owner name* Can access by street address Frees up staff time because citizens can help themselves to information Information is available 7 X 24 Important service for the community’s real estate industry

Website filled with important information and links to information on other websites

Link to the Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association Website

Website Offers information for customers 7 X 24 Provides most often asked questions to citizens and professionals Frees up staff from spending so much time on the phone Links to the WRDA, WCA, Wisconsin State Bar, DFI, DOR & other websites

Online access to real estate index and images

Laredo is the same search tool offered in our office and to remote locations by subscription. Laredo is the same search tool used in our office and at remote locations by subscription

Laredo Search Results with one document expanded

Double clicking on “Image” brings up image of doc #

Online access to real estate index and images Customers and firms can help themselves to copies of their documents Real estate professionals can subscribe to get same index and images as in the ROD Frees staff from making copies, finding information and answering the phone Provides revenue to support this convenient service

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

OCR “reads” the legal description and populates the subdivision fields.

Optical Character Recognition Improves accuracy but requires sight verification Saves key-strokes Found correct plat name 66% of the time Works best when text is clear and clean Double-entry verification is more time- consuming but safer & easier on staff

Recording documents electronically

Staff is reviewing documents before accepting them. Then staff pushes button and the batch of documents is recorded, receipted, scanned, indexed and mailed back.

GIS interface for county departments and public users

DCIMap is our user-friendly GIS available by Intranet to County offices and later by Internet to the outside world

A search by owner name brings up map & parcel information

GIS interface for county departments and public users Provides spatial information (maps) that people can understand Information is made from data bases which are kept current Intelligence is built into the maps Layers of information can be overlaid as needed Versions of the GIS can be presented on the county website Versions of the GIS can be sold by subscription Accessible by county departments, municipalities and professionals

Key resources for implementing new technology Wisconsin Land Information Program (State Program) Wisconsin Land Information Association (Private, professional organization) Wisconsin Register of Deeds Association

A $7 fee is added to documents recorded with the Register of Deeds. $5 stays with the County for land information system modernization and $2 goes to the State for grants to counties and municipalities.

Thanks to help from the Wisconsin Land Information Program: Over 80% of the land parcels in the state are digitized Most register of deeds have a computerized indexing and imaging system Many counties offer land information over the Internet Many counties use GIS daily for planning & zoning, parcel information updates, land conservation, accident reporting, vehicle routing, emergency management, facilities maintenance, and many, many other uses. Most counties have been able to increase productivity and provide service despite limited resources.

Members of the WLIA worked with the Legislature to establish the WLIP. Local and state officials are encouraged to attend the WLIA Annual Conference.

Results of using new technology?

Register Customer County Board

What can you do to get involved? Visit your Register of Deeds Visit your Land Information Office Be an active member of the WLIA Get acquainted with your State Legislators and keep them informed