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Commissioners discuss using out-of-county title company for upcoming tax sale
Summary
County staff explained why Absolute Title LLC of Madison County was chosen for deed search services for an upcoming tax sale, citing cost benchmarks, conflict-of-interest concerns and recent vendor changes; commissioners requested a copy of the contract for review.
County staff presented the proposed use of Absolute Title LLC, an out-of-county title-search firm, to perform deed searches and related services for an upcoming tax sale and answered commissioner questions about sourcing and pricing.
Staff said the allowable statutory cost for certain search work is $350 per parcel and noted market rates range from about $350 up to $500 per parcel. The presenter cited prior instances where local firms had charged lower rates in earlier years but said increased recording and other fees and inflation have raised costs. Staff also said a local concern prompted the choice: some vendors that do frequent business with the county also participate in tax-sale purchases, a potential conflict-of-interest the county sought to avoid.
Commissioners pressed staff to provide the contract to the board and to verify whether any Delaware County vendors could meet the county’s needs at comparable prices. One commissioner said the county should prefer in-county businesses if competitive. Staff said the upcoming tax-sale pool of eligible properties will be smaller this year and explained that a new vendor setup (title company and SRI services) has required coordination across departments and the courts to meet statutory notice and timing requirements.
No formal vote was taken at the Jan. 6 meeting; commissioners asked staff to provide contract documents and to return with options.
