Registry of Deeds Annual Report FY 2011
Grafton County Registry of Deeds
Kelley Jean Monahan Register
Annual Report FY 2011
To The Citizens of Grafton County, the Honorable Commissioners, and Delegation Members:
Established in 1773, I am very proud to have been elected the 42nd Grafton County Register of Deeds. History and land use have fascinated me since the age of 8 when I unearthed an arrowhead while digging in our back woods. Holding and examining that piece of stone in my hand was a formative moment in my life. I looked around and imagined the moment that it fell to the place where I had discovered it. There were other stewards of your land before you and it is certain that there will be others to follow you. This is the chain of title that the County Register of Deeds preserves and protects, and it is my honor and privilege to serve the people of Grafton County in this capacity.
Upon taking office, I began by taking stock of the assets and liabilities present.
1. The Records The value of the records that we have in our library is incalculable. Grafton County is the second largest county in New Hampshire by land mass. As our county develops the books, microfilm, subdivision plans and computer data base will be an invaluable asset for future generations of our county.
2. The Staff The Grafton County Registry of Deeds staff is a cooperative and efficient team. Deputy Register Beth Wyman has been with the Registry for 26 years and is meticulous in every aspect of her work. Beth oversees most of the financial responsibilities for the office. Brenda Dodge is a dedicated staff member, who has been with Grafton County for 22 years, beginning with the County Attorney’s Office and adds a wealth of knowledge of planning board and history of the county. Mary DeRosia is our Imaging Supervisor charged with staying current with emerging technologies. Mary also brings her years of experience in banking to the team. George Morris has 9 years with this office as a technical staff member,
security and law enforcement qualifications. George’s many years of experience is of great benefit to this department. Nancy Clement has been with the office for 3 years, 2 previous years spent with the Human Resource Department. Nancy has a great manner with the public and is a great addition to the team.
3. Our Space Having outgrown the space in the County Court House In 2005, the Registry made the transition to the current location in the Administration Building. Many of our County Registries are running out of space, necessitating a decision to no longer retain original subdivision plans. We have reallocated some of our space to ensure that this will not be the
case here. I have given careful consideration to the management of our facility. We have freed an underutilized space creating a new conference room. The Registry of Deeds Conference Room can be used free of charge by the legal and real estate professionals for real estate closings.
Revenue
For Fiscal Year 2011 the Registry of Deeds contributed $958,900.55 to the county coffers, exceeding the projected revenue goal of $900,000 by $58,900.55. This figure, in part, represents the 4% of transfer tax, and the 4% of the LCHIP fee that the County receives, the State of New Hampshire receiving the 96% of those categories. Our online account subscription fees and copy fees also contribute to the total revenue generated that helps offset the county tax rate.
Moment of Reflection Half of the time period of this report was under other leadership. Register William A. “Bill” Sharp 2006-2010 took the difficult leap into the future by providing access to recorded documents on line. Bill’s reverence for history will be his legacy here, as under his 2 terms in office he made the preservation of our oldest documents a great priority. We, as citizens of this county owe him our gratitude for this achievement.
The only other woman to hold this office is our current Grafton County Treasurer Carol A. Elliott 1988-2002, a dedicated public servant who trained much of the present staff including former Register Joel A. Dupuis 2002-2006. Register Dupuis had been a staff member for 16 years before a successful run for office. Joel was committed to the integrity of this office and was resistant to the concept of allowing access to registry records via the internet out of concerns for identity theft. I, along with many people of our county and state were saddened to hear of Joel’s passing last fall. It is with great respect for his dedication to this office and his vigilance in viewing emerging technologies with a healthy dose of skepticism that I take this moment to honor his service.
Challenges Ahead
I cannot imagine a time in history when this office has had more relevance. The challenges of sorting out the chaos of the mortgage crisis, the examination of the questionable practices of many in the financial sector and the entity know as Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems aka MERS is a daunting task. The jury is just starting to assemble and it will be over the next year that our courts and Attorney Generals make their determination in respect to the validity of MERS.
Last year at this time, the people of our state had yet to hear of the Northern Pass Project.
Many citizens of this county sought out the Registry of Deeds in search of documents that would clarify how this project would impact their property. The jury will be out on that for some time, as well. It was particularly gratifying to be of service to the land stewards that required some guidance on how to search for the applicable deeds that included the PSNH rights of way.
We here, at The Grafton County Registry of Deeds will continue to be of service to the land owners of this county who are without internet service and computer training. These are generally the people who are actually at work on the land. It is a fact that due to our topography and somewhat remote location that many of our citizens may never have access to high speed internet service. I balance this reality with the need of the people at the other end of the spectrum, the historians, the legal and real estate professionals who seek modernization of our system. I must also consider the needs of these citizens as I strive to achieve balance among the voices of all of those who are fortunate enough to be stewards of the land in this wonderful place known as Grafton County New Hampshire.
Kelley Jean Monahan Register
Annual Report FY 2011
To The Citizens of Grafton County, the Honorable Commissioners, and Delegation Members:
Established in 1773, I am very proud to have been elected the 42nd Grafton County Register of Deeds. History and land use have fascinated me since the age of 8 when I unearthed an arrowhead while digging in our back woods. Holding and examining that piece of stone in my hand was a formative moment in my life. I looked around and imagined the moment that it fell to the place where I had discovered it. There were other stewards of your land before you and it is certain that there will be others to follow you. This is the chain of title that the County Register of Deeds preserves and protects, and it is my honor and privilege to serve the people of Grafton County in this capacity.
Upon taking office, I began by taking stock of the assets and liabilities present.
1. The Records The value of the records that we have in our library is incalculable. Grafton County is the second largest county in New Hampshire by land mass. As our county develops the books, microfilm, subdivision plans and computer data base will be an invaluable asset for future generations of our county.
2. The Staff The Grafton County Registry of Deeds staff is a cooperative and efficient team. Deputy Register Beth Wyman has been with the Registry for 26 years and is meticulous in every aspect of her work. Beth oversees most of the financial responsibilities for the office. Brenda Dodge is a dedicated staff member, who has been with Grafton County for 22 years, beginning with the County Attorney’s Office and adds a wealth of knowledge of planning board and history of the county. Mary DeRosia is our Imaging Supervisor charged with staying current with emerging technologies. Mary also brings her years of experience in banking to the team. George Morris has 9 years with this office as a technical staff member,
security and law enforcement qualifications. George’s many years of experience is of great benefit to this department. Nancy Clement has been with the office for 3 years, 2 previous years spent with the Human Resource Department. Nancy has a great manner with the public and is a great addition to the team.
3. Our Space Having outgrown the space in the County Court House In 2005, the Registry made the transition to the current location in the Administration Building. Many of our County Registries are running out of space, necessitating a decision to no longer retain original subdivision plans. We have reallocated some of our space to ensure that this will not be the
case here. I have given careful consideration to the management of our facility. We have freed an underutilized space creating a new conference room. The Registry of Deeds Conference Room can be used free of charge by the legal and real estate professionals for real estate closings.
Revenue
For Fiscal Year 2011 the Registry of Deeds contributed $958,900.55 to the county coffers, exceeding the projected revenue goal of $900,000 by $58,900.55. This figure, in part, represents the 4% of transfer tax, and the 4% of the LCHIP fee that the County receives, the State of New Hampshire receiving the 96% of those categories. Our online account subscription fees and copy fees also contribute to the total revenue generated that helps offset the county tax rate.
Moment of Reflection Half of the time period of this report was under other leadership. Register William A. “Bill” Sharp 2006-2010 took the difficult leap into the future by providing access to recorded documents on line. Bill’s reverence for history will be his legacy here, as under his 2 terms in office he made the preservation of our oldest documents a great priority. We, as citizens of this county owe him our gratitude for this achievement.
The only other woman to hold this office is our current Grafton County Treasurer Carol A. Elliott 1988-2002, a dedicated public servant who trained much of the present staff including former Register Joel A. Dupuis 2002-2006. Register Dupuis had been a staff member for 16 years before a successful run for office. Joel was committed to the integrity of this office and was resistant to the concept of allowing access to registry records via the internet out of concerns for identity theft. I, along with many people of our county and state were saddened to hear of Joel’s passing last fall. It is with great respect for his dedication to this office and his vigilance in viewing emerging technologies with a healthy dose of skepticism that I take this moment to honor his service.
Challenges Ahead
I cannot imagine a time in history when this office has had more relevance. The challenges of sorting out the chaos of the mortgage crisis, the examination of the questionable practices of many in the financial sector and the entity know as Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems aka MERS is a daunting task. The jury is just starting to assemble and it will be over the next year that our courts and Attorney Generals make their determination in respect to the validity of MERS.
Last year at this time, the people of our state had yet to hear of the Northern Pass Project.
Many citizens of this county sought out the Registry of Deeds in search of documents that would clarify how this project would impact their property. The jury will be out on that for some time, as well. It was particularly gratifying to be of service to the land stewards that required some guidance on how to search for the applicable deeds that included the PSNH rights of way.
We here, at The Grafton County Registry of Deeds will continue to be of service to the land owners of this county who are without internet service and computer training. These are generally the people who are actually at work on the land. It is a fact that due to our topography and somewhat remote location that many of our citizens may never have access to high speed internet service. I balance this reality with the need of the people at the other end of the spectrum, the historians, the legal and real estate professionals who seek modernization of our system. I must also consider the needs of these citizens as I strive to achieve balance among the voices of all of those who are fortunate enough to be stewards of the land in this wonderful place known as Grafton County New Hampshire.