TO: Mayor and Commissioners
FROM: Katerri Johnson, City Clerk's Office
THROUGH: Chief Neal de Jesus, Interim City Manager
DATE: March 12, 2019
Title
REQUEST TO INCREASE LIEN SEARCH FEES
Body
Recommended Action:
Recommendation
Staff recommends the City of Delray Beach remove its regular fee of $65 and the express fee of $100 and increase the fee to a flat rate of $115 as the new rate for municipal lien searches.
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Background:
In an effort to create greater efficiencies throughout the organization, the City Clerk's Office has reviewed the lien search process and it has resulted in a desire to automate the current process to improve the turn-around time for lien search results.
Currently, the lien search regular process which takes approximately five (5) to seven (7) business days to produce results to title companies, search agencies, escrow agents, and other real estate professionals is charged a rate of $65. Title companies who desire results quicker within three (3) business days, can pay for express processing at a rate of $100. All lien searches are produced manually utilizing human efforts to check several internal computer databases to calculate the total cost of liens. City Departments that are affected by the current process includes the Utility Billing Division, Code Enforcement Division and the City Clerk's Office.
Further research shows lien search fees in the City of Delray Beach were last increased in 2012.
The initiative to automate the lien search process is a level of service enhancement whereby lien search results are returned immediately upon payment. All lien searches will essentially receive rush processing, which will eliminate the need to have a regular processing fee. The new proposed flat rate fee of $115 is comparable to other neighboring municipalities who have converted to a web-based service to return lien search results.
Fiscal Analysis
In fiscal year 2017, the City Clerk's Office processed 2563 lien search requests generating an estimated amount of $192,543. In fiscal year 2018, the City Clerk's Office processed 2063 lien search requests generating an estimated amount of $200,667. All funds were posted to:
Account Number 001-00-000.341-340 - General Certification Copy & Record.
City Attorney Review:
Approved as to form and legal sufficiency.