Iowa General Assembly Banner


Text: SSB00143                          Text: SSB00145
Text: SSB00100 - SSB00199               Text: SSB Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index



Senate Study Bill 144

Bill Text

PAG LIN
  1  1    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  543E.1  ABSTRACT TITLE PLANT
  1  2 BOARD OF EXAMINERS – DUTIES.
  1  3    1.  An abstract title plant board of examiners is created
  1  4 within the professional licensing and regulation division of
  1  5 the department of commerce.  The board shall consist of five
  1  6 members appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by
  1  7 the senate.  Three of the members appointed shall be actively
  1  8 engaged in the business of preparing abstracts of title to
  1  9 real property or executing real property title searches.
  1 10 Members of the board shall serve three-year staggered terms as
  1 11 designated by the governor and appointments to the board are
  1 12 subject to the requirements of sections 69.16, 69.16A, and
  1 13 69.19.  Vacancies shall be filled by the governor for the
  1 14 duration of the unexpired term.  Members of the abstract title
  1 15 plant board of examiners are entitled to receive a per diem as
  1 16 specified in section 7E.6 for each day spent in performance of
  1 17 duties as members and shall be reimbursed for all actual and
  1 18 necessary expenses incurred in the performance of duties as
  1 19 members.  Per diem and expenses shall be paid from the fees
  1 20 collected as provided in this section.
  1 21    2.  The abstract title plant board of examiners shall
  1 22 administer the provisions of this chapter in accordance with
  1 23 rules adopted by the board pursuant to chapter 17A.  Rules
  1 24 proposed and adopted pursuant to this section shall do all of
  1 25 the following:
  1 26    a.  Establish minimum requirements which must be met by an
  1 27 applicant prior to the issuance of a certificate of
  1 28 registration or a conditional certificate of registration.
  1 29    b.  Establish a reasonable fee to be paid by an applicant
  1 30 for a certificate of registration or a conditional certificate
  1 31 of registration sufficient to pay for the costs of
  1 32 administration of this chapter.  Fees collected pursuant to
  1 33 this section shall not be deposited in the general fund of the
  1 34 state, but shall remain under the control of the professional
  1 35 licensing and regulation division and are appropriated to be
  2  1 used solely for the administration of this chapter.
  2  2    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  543E.2  CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION
  2  3 – FEE ESTABLISHED.
  2  4    1.  A person shall not engage in the business of preparing
  2  5 abstracts of title to real property or executing real property
  2  6 title searches, unless the person has obtained an annual
  2  7 certificate of registration from the abstract title plant
  2  8 board of examiners.  Upon application and payment of a fee
  2  9 pursuant to rules adopted by the abstract title plant board of
  2 10 examiners, the abstract title plant board of examiners shall
  2 11 issue a certificate of registration to an applicant who
  2 12 satisfies the requirements established in this chapter and the
  2 13 rules adopted pursuant to this chapter.  A certificate of
  2 14 registration or a conditional certificate of registration
  2 15 issued pursuant to this section shall expire on December 31 of
  2 16 each year.
  2 17    2.  A person engaged in the business of preparing abstracts
  2 18 of title to real property or executing real property title
  2 19 searches in this state, and desiring to continue to engage in
  2 20 such acts, is required to own or lease, and maintain, an up-
  2 21 to-date abstract title plant for each county or that portion
  2 22 of each county in which abstracts of title to real property or
  2 23 real property title searches are prepared.  The abstract title
  2 24 plant shall commence not less than forty years prior to the
  2 25 effective date of the certification and contain reference to
  2 26 applicable public records affecting real property in the
  2 27 office of the county recorder within the most recent thirty
  2 28 days.
  2 29    3.  The abstract title plant shall consist of tract
  2 30 indices, or a system, designated to include a geographical
  2 31 area of no more than one block in the case of platted real
  2 32 estate, and no more than one section in the case of unplatted
  2 33 real estate.  The abstract title plant shall also include
  2 34 miscellaneous alphabetical name indices, or a system,
  2 35 containing references to instruments, which affect real
  3  1 property, that do not specifically describe the real property
  3  2 affected.
  3  3    4.  If an abstract title plant of the county does not exist
  3  4 or the owner of an abstract title plant who is registered
  3  5 pursuant to this section refuses to provide real property
  3  6 title evidence, the abstract title plant board of examiners
  3  7 may grant a conditional certificate of registration to the
  3  8 applicant subject to conditions deemed appropriate by the
  3  9 abstract title plant board of examiners.  The conditional
  3 10 certificate of registration shall be granted for a period of
  3 11 one year to permit the person to prepare abstracts of title
  3 12 and real property title searches for the time period
  3 13 consistent with the abstract title plant owned or leased by
  3 14 the person.  A person granted a conditional certificate of
  3 15 registration shall comply with the provisions of subsection 2
  3 16 within the one-year period or cease the activities for which
  3 17 the certificate was granted.
  3 18    Sec. 3.  Section 546.10, subsection 1, Code 1997, is
  3 19 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  3 20    NEW PARAGRAPH.  f.  The abstract title plant board of
  3 21 examiners created pursuant to chapter 543E.
  3 22    Sec. 4.  INITIAL ABSTRACT TITLE PLANT BOARD OF EXAMINERS
  3 23 APPOINTMENTS.  The initial members of the abstract title plant
  3 24 board of examiners shall be appointed to the following terms:
  3 25    1.  Two members shall be appointed for a term of three
  3 26 years.
  3 27    2.  Two members shall be appointed for a term of two years.
  3 28    3.  One member shall be appointed for a term of one year.
  3 29    Sec. 5.  EFFECTIVE DATES.
  3 30    1.  Section 543E.1, as enacted in this Act, section 546.10,
  3 31 subsection 1, paragraph "f", as enacted in this Act, and
  3 32 section 4 of this Act take effect July 1, 1999.
  3 33    2.  Section 543E.2, as enacted in this Act, takes effect
  3 34 January 1, 2001.  
  3 35                           EXPLANATION
  4  1    This bill creates the abstract title plant board of
  4  2 examiners within the professional licensing and regulation
  4  3 division of the department of commerce.  The board is
  4  4 authorized to issue a certificate of registration upon the
  4  5 application of a person who engages in the business of
  4  6 preparing abstracts of title to real property or real property
  4  7 title searches.  A person who prepares abstracts of title to
  4  8 real property or real property title searches is required to
  4  9 own or lease, and maintain, an up-to-date abstract title plant
  4 10 for each county in which abstracts of title to real property,
  4 11 real property title searches are prepared.  The abstract title
  4 12 plant board of examiners is to adopt rules for the
  4 13 administration of this section.
  4 14    The board is to establish a reasonable fee to be paid by
  4 15 applicants for a certificate of registration or conditional
  4 16 certificate of registration sufficient to pay for the costs of
  4 17 administering the section.  The fees are to remain under the
  4 18 control of the professional licensing and regulation division
  4 19 and are not to be deposited in the general fund.
  4 20    The provision creating the abstract title plant board of
  4 21 examiners takes effect July 1, 1999.  The provisions requiring
  4 22 certification take effect January 1, 2001.  
  4 23 LSB 2140SC 77
  4 24 mj/jj/8
     

Text: SSB00143                          Text: SSB00145
Text: SSB00100 - SSB00199               Text: SSB Index
Bills and Amendments: General Index     Bill History: General Index

Return To Home Iowa General Assembly

index Search: Senate Bills and Amendments (77th General Assembly)

© 1997 Cornell College and League of Women Voters of Iowa


Comments about this site or page? webmaster@legis.iowa.gov. Please remember that the person listed above does not vote on bills. Direct all comments concerning legislation to State Legislators.

Last update: Wed Feb 19 03:41:10 CST 1997
URL: /DOCS/GA/77GA/Legislation/SSB/00100/SSB00144/970218.html
jhf