Committee backs extension of assessor-recorder e‑recording agreement, small fee increase

The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 3-0 on May 1 to send to the full board a resolution authorizing the Office of the Assessor‑Recorder to amend its memorandum of understanding with the California Electronic Recording Transaction Network Authority (CERNA), extending the contract through Jan. 10, 2035, and increasing the per‑title e‑recording fee from $0.30 to $0.34.

The amendment "changes 2 things, extends the agreement through 01/10/2035, and increases the cost per title from 30¢ to 34¢," said Holly Long, who presented the item and identified herself as Manager of Legislative Affairs for the Office of the Assessor‑Recorder. Long said CERNA is one of two Department of Justice‑compliant providers in California and that the office has used CERNA’s e‑recording service since 2013.

Why it matters: the assessor‑recorder’s office records real‑estate documents such as title transfers and loan payoffs. Long told the committee that electronic recording has grown from a handful of submitters in 2013 to nearly 800 title companies, law firms, lenders and government agencies. About 75% of the office’s recordings are now submitted electronically, she said, which the office credits with cutting processing time from days to hours and reducing manual checks and scanning.

The office estimated the per‑title fee increase would raise costs by about $5,000 to $7,000 annually based on recent filing volumes. Long summarized the underlying figures as roughly 160,000 average recorded documents over the last 10 years and about 118,000 over the last three years; she said the office can absorb the modest increase within its existing fee structure.

Long also told the committee that switching to the other authorized provider would require a roughly $100,000 buy‑in plus system reconfigurations and nearly 800 new MOUs, which she said would impose major administrative and financial burdens.

The committee recorded no public comments on the item. After the presentation and no committee questions, Chair Supervisor Jackie Fielder moved to send the item to the full board with a positive recommendation; the clerk called the roll and Supervisors Sauter, Cheryl and Fielder voted aye. The motion passed 3-0.

The committee discussion and the presentation confined the action to an administrative contract amendment; no ordinance or fee schedule change was adopted by the committee itself. The item is expected to appear on the Board of Supervisors’ agenda on May 13 for final consideration.