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Commonwealth RECORDER'SOFFICE
The primarydutiesof the Commonwealth Recorder are asfollows:
- Promptlyrecording documentspresented for recordation;
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- Maintaining,indexing,updating,and retaining electroniccopiesof the official land registration certificates and other real estate,Uniform Commercial Code,and personal propertydocumentsof the Commonwealth;
- Maintaining,indexing,updating,and retaining electroniccopiesof marriage records;
- Converting existing recorded paper documentsinto electronicformat; and
- Providing accessto the search and retrieval of documentsand information byelectronicmeans.
APPLICABLE STATUES/RULES/ORDERS
Public Law 21-39
On January19,2021,Commonwealth Recorder?sAct of 2020 became effective.The statute providesfor electronicrecording of all documentsand placesthe CROunder the Chief Justice?ssupervision.The office is currentlyplaced in the JudiciaryAdministrative Office and isunder the direct supervision of the Director of Courts.
Supreme Court No. 2021-ADM-0007-RUL
On June 15,2021,the NMI JudiciaryRulesof Electronic Recordation became effective,establishing the duties and responsibilitiesof the office aswell asthe process for the recordation of instrumentsinvolving real properties,commercial transactions,marriages,among others.
Administrative Order No. 2022-ADM-0018-MSC
On October 24,2022, the Supreme Court issued the "Order Effectuating ElectronicRecordation with the
Commonwealth Recorder?sOffice," stating that effective October 27,2022, all documentspresented for recordation to the Commonwealth Recorder?sOffice shall be in electronicform; shall be filed through a platform approved or provided bythe Supreme Court; and must comply with the NMI JudiciaryRulesof ElectronicRecordation.Recording feesare assessed pursuant to the JudiciaryFee Schedule,Administrative Order No.2017-ADM-0003-MSC.
Staff And Office Update
The Commonwealth Recorder?sOffice (CRO) wasfully staffed during the 2nd,3rd,and 4th quarter of 2022. Administrative Specialist HollyCamacho washired on February16,2022.She wastrained on handling maintenance of CROindexes,recordation processes, document requests,document digitization and maintenance,customer interaction,and service.
ARPAScanning Clerk TracyLimesassisted the CRO throughout the year with scanning,indexing,and auditing land instruments.
The office also provided a workplace experience for NicolasNekai Jr.,an intern from the Northern Marianas College?sCriminal Justice Program.He worked from October 4 to November 22,2022,serving a total of 115 hours.He assisted with scanning and indexing land instruments,attending to customers,and creating an inventoryof microfilms.
The CROhascontinued operationsat two locationsat the Guma?Hustisia and the MarianasBusinessPlaza. Customersare assisted with recordingsand inquiriesat the Guma?Hustisia between 8:00 am and 12:00 pm and with research appointmentsand inquiriesbetween 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm at the MarianasBusinessPlaza.
Projects
The electronicrecording servicesplatform providesthe Commonwealth with an integrated online portal for title companies,banks,attorneys,and membersof the publicto submit documentsfor recording and researching recorded documents,data,and images.The portal assistsin streamlining the recording process,by reducing the need to physicallyvisit the Commonwealth Recorder?sOffice.Usersare able to accessthe Judiciary?selectronicrecording system at their convenience from anyelectronicdevice with internet access.
The transition to an electronicrecording system ispart of a Judiciary-wide strategicplan to modernize court technology and processes,while making accessto judicial serviceseasier for the public.The project isone component of the Judiciary?sdigitization and scanning project which involvesthe scanning of tensof thousandsof documentsdating back to the Trust Territoryera.
Before embarking on the e-recording transition,the Judiciary,led bye-Recording Committee chair Justice PerryB.Inos,met with representativesfrom banks, government agencies,and title companiesto discuss the implementation plans,all expressing support for the project.
CROFILINGS IN 2022 (SAIPAN, TINIAN,ROTA
