Ohio REALTORS provides testimony in support of Senate Bill 94
This week, Ohio REALTORS® provided testimony in support of Senate Bill (SB) 94 before the House Finance Committee. This legislation seeks to modernize electronic records and conveyances maintained by county recorders across Ohio, a move that promises to significantly improve the efficiency and accessibility of these crucial documents.
In the testimony, Ohio REALTORS® CEO Scott Williams stated:
“The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the critical importance of offering functioning online systems, and this is certainly the case for the transfer of real property. By creating an online system to record and access documents in all 88 counties, future efforts to view these documents will be faster and more convenient.”
Ohio REALTORS® highlighted the historical position of opposing any fees, taxes, or surcharges that increase the cost of homeownership. However, the association is making an exception for SB 94, which proposes a modest document preservation surcharge that cannot exceed $5. This surcharge is intended to support the digitization and ongoing preservation of records, a move seen as essential for adapting to the needs of the digital age. During the Senate committee process, an amendment was added that restricts eligibility to counties that meet the bill’s modernization requirements after its effective date. This ensures that only counties actively modernizing their records systems benefit from the funds, ensuring widespread improvements in record-keeping infrastructure in counties that need it.
This bill also changes a section of the Ohio Revised Code to allow a rental unit owner’s agent or representative to register a rental property with the County Auditor, expanding current permissions which only apply to rental unit owners.
SB 94 will continue to move through the House committee process.
Read more about this bill: SB 94 | 135th General Assembly | Ohio Legislature
