Legislators for the state of CALIFORNIA have enacted Senate Bill (SB) 2, Chapter 2.5 of the Statues of 2017 that will in effect increase by $75 the cost to record CALIFORNIA Mechanics Liens and Releases in all fifty-eight (58) counties in CALIFORNIA effective January 1, 2018. This is addition to the Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund Fees that range from $3.00 – $10.00 in certain counties PLUS each counties respective recording fees that range from $9.00 – $28.00.

According to Jaime T. Pailma, Division Manager, Document Recording Division for Los Angeles County’s Registrar-Recorder/Clerk’s Office, “….the bill imposes a mandate on County Recorders to charge an additional $75 at the time of recording every real estate instrument, paper, or notice required or permitted by law to be recorded, except those expressly exempted from payment of recording fees, per each transaction per parcel of real property, not to exceed $225.”

The Nevada County Clerk Recorder-Registrar of Voters, Gregory J. Diaz, notes that a waiver of the $75 fee “….shall not be imposed on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded in connection with a transfer subject to the imposition of a documentary transfer tax as defined in Section 11911 of the Revenue and Taxation Code or on any real estate instrument, paper, or notice recorded with a transfer of real property that is a residential dwelling to an owner-occupier.”

For a listing of CALIFORNIA County Recorders with addresses and phone numbers to contact about the new law and price increase, you can visit our listing by counties at TraditionSoftware.com/county-assessors-clerks-recorders/california/.