Each month, the Chicago Association of REALTORS® hosts Coffee With Your GADs to keep you updated on what is happening in the government that affects your business.
Watch the playback from our November 10 meeting where we were joined by the Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough, who discussed the merger of the Clerks office and Recorder of Deeds office.
Updates From Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough
Cook County Clerk Karen Yarbrough joined us to discuss the merger of the Clerks office and Recorder of Deeds office. The Record of Deeds office will cease to exist, and the Clerks office will assume the duties of the Recorder of Deeds office. What does this mean for the real estate industry? Karen Yarbrough has been a REALTOR® since the 1970s, so she assured members that having someone in the industry who understands it will be a big benefit to the real estate industry. Deputy Bill Drobitsch discussed the backlog of documents in the office. He said currently there are 44,020 that need to be addressed, but the staff is working overtime and on the weekends to address the issue. All documents dropped at the office prior to October 16 have been recorded, and they are working on the rest. The Clerks office team also discussed new programs and initiatives that Yarbrough has worked to incorporate, including:- The Property Fraud Alert Program, which provides a phone call or email when any document affecting your property is filed in our office to avoid fraud from occurring.
- E-recordings, such as remote notarization, e-signatures and other tools that will make your transactions easier.