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Sedgwick County Register of Deeds rolls out vendor land-records system; officials field questions about search fees
Summary
Register of Deeds Tonya Buckingham told commissioners the office launched a new land-records management system with Fiddler Technologies that adds fraud-prevention and subscription search options; commissioners and staff answered questions about per-search fees, subscriptions and in‑office alternatives.
Tonya Buckingham, Sedgwick County Register of Deeds, told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 12 that her office launched a new records-management system on Feb. 3 with Fiddler Technologies to replace a 15‑year in‑house e‑recording system.
Buckingham said the new platform offers “enhanced recording software with improved search capabilities for public land records,” a subscription search service called Laredo for frequent users, advanced fraud‑prevention and a Bastion platform for data preservation. She also described a veterans program that provides five free certified copies to veterans who file a DD‑214 and a passport acceptance facility at the East Kellogg tag office.
The change prompted detailed questions from commissioners about how the new system will affect public access and costs. Chief Deputy Register Kenley Ziering explained a primary difference for casual users: “Now this free service can notify residents by email, text, or phone call whenever a document is recorded in their name,” and added that residents must resubscribe to receive those alerts.
Commissioner Howe pressed staff on search costs and consumer access. Buckingham and Ziering said a single remote search via the subscription interface costs $8.75 per search, but users who subscribe to Laredo can reduce per‑search costs; the office also offers a $50 short‑term Laredo subscription option that could be cheaper for heavy users. Buckingam and Ziering told commissioners there is no charge for residents to use computers at the Register of Deeds offices and that staff can perform one‑off lookups and email copies — a copy charge applies if the office prints the document.
Buckingham said the county selected Fiddler after a competitive RFP with county IT involvement and emphasized record security as a key motivator for moving to a vendor platform. She cited a ransomware incident in another county where Bastion helped the register’s office continue recording while other departments were offline. Buckingham also noted indexing of older records back to the 1920s as part of the modernization effort.
Commissioners asked whether title companies and realtors had been consulted; Buckingham said the office had engaged title companies and the local Realtors association and that they were aware of the change and the fee structure. Several commissioners expressed concern that the move replaces a no‑cost public search tool with a subscription model and urged clear public communication.
The Register of Deeds office encouraged residents to sign up for the property‑fraud alert service via the county website and said in‑person assistance remains free at both locations for those who need help navigating the new system.
The commissioners did not take formal action on the matter during the meeting.
