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S.B. 71

This document includes Senate Committee Amendments incorporated into the bill on Thu, Feb 8, 2007 at 9:57 AM by rday. -->              1     

COUNTY RECORDER AMENDMENTS

             2     
2007 GENERAL SESSION

             3     
STATE OF UTAH

             4     
Chief Sponsor: Dennis E. Stowell

             5     
House Sponsor: Stephen H. Urquhart

             6     

             7      LONG TITLE
             8      General Description:
             9          This bill modifies provisions relating to county recorders and documents submitted to
             10      county recorders for recording.
             11      Highlighted Provisions:
             12          This bill:
             13          .    clarifies that a document relating to parcels designated as a community area is to be
             14      treated the same as a document relating to a parcel designated as a common area;
             15          .    eliminates a requirement that fidelity bonds be recorded;
             16          .    modifies procedures and requirements applicable to the recording of documents;
             17          .    modifies procedures applicable to a subdivision plat that includes a public utility
             18      easement;
             19          .    provides an affidavit form for the termination on an interest in real estate; and
             20          .    makes permissible rather than mandatory a county recorder's refusal to accept for
             21      recording a document that fails to comply with applicable requirements.
             22      Monies Appropriated in this Bill:
             23          None
             24      Other Special Clauses:
             25          None
             26      Utah Code Sections Affected:
             27      AMENDS:



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             28
         10-9a-606, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 254, Laws of Utah 2005
             29          17-16-11, as repealed and reenacted by Chapter 211, Laws of Utah 2003
             30          17-21-12, as last amended by Chapter 85, Laws of Utah 1999
             31          17-27a-606, as renumbered and amended by Chapter 254, Laws of Utah 2005
             32          54-3-27, as enacted by Chapter 64, Laws of Utah 2004
             33          57-1-5.1, as last amended by Chapter 38, Laws of Utah 2006
             34          57-3-105, as last amended by Chapter 320, Laws of Utah 2000
             35          57-3-106, as last amended by Chapters 241 and 370, Laws of Utah 2001
             36          57-8-11, as enacted by Chapter 111, Laws of Utah 1963
             37          57-8-14, as last amended by Chapter 265, Laws of Utah 2003
             38          57-8-27, as last amended by Chapter 265, Laws of Utah 2003
             39      REPEALS:
             40          17-21-13, as last amended by Chapter 241, Laws of Utah 2001
             41     

             42      Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
             43          Section 1. Section 10-9a-606 is amended to read:
             44           10-9a-606. Common or community area parcels on a plat -- No separate
             45      ownership -- Ownership interest equally divided among other parcels on plat and
             46      included in description of other parcels.
             47          (1) A parcel designated as common or community area on a plat recorded in
             48      compliance with this part may not be separately owned or conveyed independent of the other
             49      parcels created by the plat.
             50          (2) The ownership interest in a parcel described in Subsection (1) shall:
             51          (a) for purposes of assessment, be divided equally among all parcels created by the
             52      plat, unless a different division of interest for assessment purposes is indicated on the plat or an
             53      accompanying recorded document; and
             54          (b) be considered to be included in the description of each instrument describing a
             55      parcel on the plat by its identifying plat number, even if the common or community area
             56      interest is not explicitly stated in the instrument.
             57          Section 2. Section 17-16-11 is amended to read:
             58           17-16-11. Fidelity bonds and theft or crime insurance.



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             59
         (1) As used in this section, "county officials" means:
             60          (a) the members of the county legislative body;
             61          (b) the county executive;
             62          (c) the county clerk;
             63          (d) the county auditor;
             64          (e) the county sheriff;
             65          (f) the county attorney;
             66          (g) in a county that is within a prosecution district, the district attorney;
             67          (h) the county recorder;
             68          (i) the county assessor;
             69          (j) the county surveyor;
             70          (k) each justice court judge and constable within the county;
             71          (l) the county treasurer; and
             72          (m) each deputy or assistant of those listed in Subsections (1)(a) through (l) for whom
             73      the county legislative body determines a general fidelity bond or theft or crime insurance
             74      should be acquired.
             75          (2) (a) The legislative body of each county shall prescribe the amount of each general
             76      fidelity bond or of theft or crime insurance to be acquired for county officials, except the
             77      county treasurer, before the county officials, except the county treasurer, may discharge the
             78      duties of their respective offices.
             79          (b) The State Money Management Council created in Section 51-7-16 shall prescribe
             80      the amount of a general fidelity bond or theft or crime insurance to be acquired for the county
             81      treasurer before the county treasurer may discharge the duties of that office.
             82          (c) A county legislative body may acquire a fidelity bond or theft or crime insurance on
             83      all county officials as a group rather than individually.
             84          (3) (a) The county legislative body shall approve the premium for each fidelity bond
             85      before the bond may be filed [and recorded].
             86          (b) The cost of each fidelity bond and theft or crime insurance policy shall be paid
             87      from county funds.
             88          (4) Each fidelity bond shall be [recorded in the office of the county recorder and a copy
             89      of it] filed and maintained in the office of the county clerk.



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             90
         (5) (a) The district attorney of each multicounty prosecution district shall:
             91          (i) execute a fidelity bond or acquire theft or crime insurance in the amount specified in
             92      the interlocal agreement that created the prosecution district; and
             93          (ii) [record] file each fidelity bond [with the county recorder and file a copy of it] with
             94      the county clerk as specified in the interlocal agreement.
             95          (b) The cost of each fidelity bond or theft or crime insurance policy under Subsection
             96      (5)(a) shall be paid as specified in the interlocal agreement that created the prosecution district.
             97          Section 3. Section 17-21-12 is amended to read:
             98           17-21-12. Recording procedures -- Endorsements of entry number required on
             99      documents.
             100          [When any instrument authorized by law to be recorded] (1) If a document is accepted
             101      by the recorder's office for recording, the recorder shall:
             102          [(1)] (a) endorse upon [it its proper] the first page of the document an entry number[,]
             103      and the time when [it] the document was received, noting the year, month, day, hour, and
             104      minute of its reception, and the amount of fees for recording it; and
             105          [(2)] (b) record the [instrument] document during office hours in the order it was
             106      accepted[, together with the acknowledgments, proofs, and certificates written upon or attached
             107      to it, with the plats, surveys, schedules and other papers annexed to it].
             108          (2) Each county recorder shall place an entry number or a book and page reference on
             109      each page of a document that the recorder accepts for recording only if the original document
             110      or a copy of the document is kept as a public record under Section 17-21-3 .
             111          (3) (a) A county recorder may, but is not required to, endorse each document that the
             112      recorder accepts for recording with a book and page reference.
             113          (b) If a county recorder elects not to endorse a document with a book and page
             114      reference, the book and page reference may be omitted:
             115          (i) in each index required by statute; and
             116          (ii) on each document presented for recording that is required to recite recording data.
             117          (4) S. [ If a document that a county recorder accepts for recording indicates the name and
             118      address of the person to whom the document should be returned after recording
] Subject to Section

             118a      17-21-3, .S , the county
             119      recorder shall return the document to S. [ that ] the .S person S. [ at the address indicated ] that
             119a      the recorder considers appropriate .S .
             120          Section 4. Section 17-27a-606 is amended to read:



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             121
          17-27a-606. Common or community area parcels on a plat -- No separate
             122      ownership -- Ownership interest equally divided among other parcels on plat and
             123      included in description of other parcels.
             124          (1) A parcel designated as common or community area on a plat recorded in
             125      compliance with this part may not be separately owned or conveyed independent of the other
             126      parcels created by the plat.
             127          (2) The ownership interest in a parcel described in Subsection (1) shall:
             128          (a) for purposes of assessment, be divided equally among all parcels created by the
             129      plat, unless a different division of interest for assessment purposes is indicated on the plat or an
             130      accompanying recorded document; and
             131          (b) be considered to be included in the description of each instrument describing a
             132      parcel on the plat by its identifying plat number, even if the common or community area
             133      interest is not explicitly stated in the instrument.
             134          Section 5. Section 54-3-27 is amended to read:
             135           54-3-27. Public utility easement.
             136          (1) As used in this section, "public utility easement" means the area on a recorded plat
             137      map or other recorded document that is dedicated to the use and installation of public utility
             138      facilities.
             139          (2) (a) A public utility easement provides a public utility with:
             140          (i) the right to install, maintain, operate, repair, remove, replace, or relocate public
             141      utility facilities; and
             142          (ii) the rights of ingress and egress within the public utility easement for public utility
             143      employees, contractors, and agents.
             144          (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (3), a public utility shall restore or repair, at the
             145      expense of the public utility, any fence, grass, soil, shrubbery, bushes, flowers, other low level
             146      vegetation, sprinkler system, irrigation system, gravel, flat concrete, or asphalt damaged or
             147      displaced from the exercise of the easement rights described in Subsection (2)(a).
             148          (3) Except as provided in Subsection (2)(b), if a property owner places improvements
             149      to land that interfere with the easement rights described in Subsection (2)(a), the property
             150      owner shall bear the risk of loss or damage to those improvements resulting from the exercise
             151      of the easement rights described in Subsection (2)(a).



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             152
         (4) (a) Except as provided in Subsection (4)(b), a public utility easement is
             153      nonexclusive and may be used by more than one public utility.
             154          (b) Notwithstanding Subsection (4)(a), a public utility may not:
             155          (i) interfere with any facility of another public utility within the public utility easement;
             156      or
             157          (ii) infringe on the legally required distances of separation between public utility
             158      facilities required by federal, state, or local law.
             159          (5) A subdivision plat that includes a public utility easement may not be [recorded]
             160      approved by a county or municipality unless the subdivider has provided the [municipality or]
             161      county [with] or municipality proof that the subdivider has, as a courtesy, previously notified
             162      each public utility [as identified by the municipality or county as holding an interest in the
             163      public utility easement has, as a courtesy, been notified at least 14 calendar days prior to
             164      recording] that is anticipated to provide service to the subdivision.
             165          Section 6. Section 57-1-5.1 is amended to read:
             166           57-1-5.1. Termination of an interest in real estate -- Affidavit.
             167          (1) Joint tenancy, tenancy by the entirety, life estate, or determinable or conditional
             168      interest in real estate may be terminated by an affidavit that:
             169          (a) meets the requirements of Subsection (2) [which shall be]; and
             170          (b) is recorded in the office of the recorder of the county in which the affected property
             171      is located.
             172          (2) Each affidavit required by Subsection (1) shall:
             173          (a) cite the interest which is being terminated;
             174          (b) contain a legal description of the real property that is affected;
             175          (c) reference the entry number and the book and page of the instrument creating the
             176      interest to be terminated; and
             177          (d) if the termination is the result of a death, have attached as an exhibit, a copy of the
             178      death certificate or other document witnessing the death.
             179          (3) The affidavit required by Subsection (1) may be in substantially the following form:
             180                              "Affidavit
             181      State of Utah )
             182      ) ss



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             183
     County of ___________)
             184          I, (name of affiant), being of legal age and being first duly sworn, depose and state as
             185      follows:
             186          (The name of the deceased person), the decedent in the attached certificate of death or
             187      other document witnessing death is the same person as (the name of the deceased person)
             188      named as a party in the document dated (date of document) as entry _______ in book _______,
             189      page _______ in the records of the (name of county) County Recorder.
             190          This affidavit is given to terminate the decedent's interest in the S. [ property ] following .S
             190a      described
             191      S. [ above. ] property located in ____________________ County, State of Utah: (description of
             191a      the property) .S
             192          Dated this ______ day of ___________________, ________.
             193                              _____________________________________
             194                              (Signature of affiant)
             195          Subscribed to and sworn before me this _______ day of _______________,
             196      _________.
             197                              ____________________________________
             198                              Notary public"
             199          Section 7. Section 57-3-105 is amended to read:
             200           57-3-105. Legal description of real property and names and addresses required in
             201      documents.
             202          (1) Except as otherwise provided by statute, a person may not present a document for
             203      recording unless it complies with the requirements of this section.
             204          [(1)] (2) A document executed after July 1, 1983, is entitled to be recorded in the office
             205      of [any county] the recorder of the county in which the property described in the document is
             206      located only if the document contains a legal description of the real property affected.
             207          [(2)] (3) (a) A document [affecting] conveying title to real property presented for
             208      recording after July 1, 1981, is entitled to be recorded in the office of [any county] the recorder
             209      of the county in which the property described in the document is located only if the document
             210      contains the names and mailing addresses of the grantees in addition to the legal description
             211      required under Subsection [(1)] (2).
             212          (b) The address of the management committee may be used as the mailing address of a
             213      grantee as required in Subsection [(2)] (3)(a) if the interest conveyed is a timeshare interest as



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             214
     defined by Section 57-19-2 .
             215          [(3) Each] (4) A county recorder [shall] may refuse to accept a document for recording
             216      if [it] the document does not conform to the requirements [under] of this section.
             217          [(4)] (5) Notwithstanding Subsections [(1),] (2), [and] (3), and (4), a master form, as
             218      defined in Section 57-3-201 , that does not meet the requirements of Subsections [(1) and] (2)
             219      and (3) is entitled to be recorded in the office of [any county] the recorder of the county in
             220      which the property described in the master form is located if it complies with Part 2, Master
             221      Mortgage and Trust Deeds.
             222          Section 8. Section 57-3-106 is amended to read:
             223           57-3-106. Original documents required -- Captions -- Legibility.
             224          (1) (a) Unless otherwise provided, documents presented for recording in the office of
             225      the county recorder shall:
             226          (i) be originals; [and]
             227          (ii) contain a brief caption S. on the first page of the document .S stating the nature of
             227a      the document[.]; and
             228          (iii) contain a legal description of the property as required under Section 57-3-105 .
             229          (b) If a document is a master form, as defined in Section 57-3-201 , the caption required
             230      by Subsection (1)(a)(ii) shall state that the document is a master form.
             231          (2) A court judgment or an abstract of a court judgment presented for recording in the
             232      office of the county recorder in compliance with Section 78-22-1 shall:
             233          (a) be an original or certified copy; and
             234          (b) include the information identifying the judgment debtor as referred to in Subsection
             235      78-22-1.5 (4) either:
             236          (i) in the judgment or abstract of judgment; or
             237          (ii) as a separate information statement of the judgment creditor as referred to in
             238      Subsection 78-22-1.5 (5).
             239          (3) Judgments, abstracts of judgments, and separate information statements of the
             240      judgment creditor do not require an acknowledgment or a legal description to be recorded.
             241          (4) A foreign judgment or an abstract of a foreign judgment recorded in the office of a
             242      county recorder shall include the affidavit as required in Section 78-22a-3 .
             243          (5) Any document recorded in the office of the county recorder to release or assign a
             244      judgment lien shall include:



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             245
         (a) the name of any judgment creditor, debtor, assignor, or assignee;
             246          (b) the date of recording; and
             247          (c) the entry number of the instrument creating the judgment lien.
             248          (6) Documents presented for recording shall also be sufficiently legible for the recorder
             249      to make certified copies.
             250          (7) (a) A document which is of record in the office of the appropriate county recorder
             251      in compliance with this chapter may not be recorded again in that same county recorder's office
             252      unless the original document has been reexecuted by all parties who executed the document.
             253      Unless exempt by statute, original documents which are reexecuted must also contain the
             254      appropriate acknowledgment, proof of execution, jurat or other notarial certification for all
             255      parties who are reexecuting the document as required by Title 46, Chapter 1, Notaries Public
             256      Reform Act, and Title 57, Chapter 2, Acknowledgments. Documents submitted for rerecording
             257      shall contain a brief statement explaining the reason for rerecording.
             258          (b) A county recorder may refuse to accept a document for rerecording if that
             259      document does not conform to the requirements of this section.
             260          (c) This Subsection (7) applies only to documents executed after July 1, 1998.
             261          (8) Minor typographical or clerical errors in a document of record may be corrected by
             262      the recording of an affidavit or other appropriate instrument.
             263          Section 9. Section 57-8-11 is amended to read:
             264           57-8-11. Contents of deeds of units.
             265          [Deeds] S. [ Each ] A .S deed of units S. [ shall ] may .S include [the following
             265a      particulars]:
             266          (1) [A] a description of the land as provided in Section 57-8-10 , including the book and
             267      page or entry number and date of recording of the declaration[.];
             268          (2) [The] the unit number of the unit and any other data necessary for its proper
             269      identification[.];
             270          (3) [The] percentage of undivided interest appertaining to the unit in the common or
             271      community areas and facilities[.]; and
             272          (4) [Any] any further particulars [which] that the grantor and grantee [may deem]
             273      consider desirable to set forth consistent with the declaration and this [act] chapter.
             274          Section 10. Section 57-8-14 is amended to read:
             275           57-8-14. Legal description of units.



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             276
         [Every] (1) A deed, lease, mortgage, or other instrument may legally describe a unit by
             277      its identifying number or symbol as designated in the declaration or as shown on the
             278      condominium plat[, and every such].
             279          (2) Each description under Subsection (1) shall be [deemed] considered:
             280          (a) to be good and sufficient for all purposes[,]; and [shall be deemed]
             281          (b) to convey, transfer, encumber or otherwise affect the unit owner's corresponding
             282      percentage of ownership in the common or community areas and facilities even though the
             283      [same] percentage of ownership is not expressly mentioned or described.
             284          Section 11. Section 57-8-27 is amended to read:
             285           57-8-27. Separate taxation.
             286          (1) Each unit and its percentage of undivided interest in the common or community
             287      areas and facilities shall be considered to be a parcel and shall be subject to separate
             288      assessment and taxation by each assessing unit and special district for all types of taxes
             289      authorized by law, including ad valorem levies and special assessments. Neither the building
             290      or buildings, the property, nor any of the common areas and facilities may be considered a
             291      parcel.
             292          (2) In the event any of the interests in real property made subject to this chapter by the
             293      declaration are leasehold interests, if the lease creating these interests is of record in the office
             294      of the county recorder, if the balance of the term remaining under the lease is at least 40 years
             295      at the time the leasehold interest is made subject to this chapter, if units are situated or are to be
             296      situated on or within the real property covered by the lease, and if the lease provides that the
             297      lessee shall pay all taxes and assessments imposed by governmental authority, then until ten
             298      years prior to the date that the leasehold is to expire or until the lease is terminated, whichever
             299      first occurs, all taxes and assessments on the real property covered by the lease shall be levied
             300      against the owner of the lessee's interest. If the owner of the reversion under the lease has
             301      executed the declaration and condominium plat, until ten years prior to the date that the
             302      leasehold is to expire, or until the lease is terminated, whichever first occurs, all taxes and
             303      assessments on the real property covered by the lease shall be separately levied against the unit
             304      owners having an interest in the lease, with each unit owner for taxation purposes being
             305      considered the owner of a parcel consisting of his undivided condominium interest in the fee of
             306      the real property affected by the lease.



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             307
         (3) No forfeiture or sale of the improvements or the property as a whole for delinquent
             308      real estate taxes, special assessments, or charges shall divest or in anywise affect the title to an
             309      individual unit if the real estate taxes or duly levied share of the assessments and charges on the
             310      individual unit are currently paid.
             311          (4) Any exemption from taxes that may exist on real property or the ownership of the
             312      property may not be denied by virtue of the submission of the property to this chapter.
             313          (5) Timeshare interests and timeshare estates, as defined in Subsection 57-19-2 (17),
             314      may not be separately taxed but shall be valued, assessed, and taxed at the unit level. The
             315      value of timeshare interests and timeshare estates, for purposes of ad valorem taxation, shall be
             316      determined by valuing the real property interest associated with the timeshare interest or
             317      timeshare estate, exclusive of the value of any intangible property and rights associated with
             318      the acquisition, operation, ownership, and use of the timeshare interest or timeshare estate,
             319      including the fees and costs associated with the sale of timeshare interests and timeshare estates
             320      that exceed those fees and costs normally incurred in the sale of other similar properties, the
             321      fees and costs associated with the operation, ownership, and use of timeshare interests and
             322      timeshare estates, vacation exchange rights, vacation conveniences and services, club
             323      memberships, and any other intangible rights and benefits available to a timeshare unit owner.
             324      Nothing in this section shall be construed as requiring the assessment of any real property
             325      interest associated with a timeshare interest or timeshare estate at less than its fair market
             326      value. Notice of assessment, delinquency, sale, or any other purpose required by law is
             327      considered sufficient for all purposes if the notice is given to the management committee.
             328          Section 12. Repealer.
             329          This bill repeals:
             330          Section 17-21-13, Endorsement of book and page -- Return of instrument.





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