Bill > SB255

This bill requires each county in California to establish a recorder notification program by January 1, 2027, which mandates that county recorders notify parties by mail within 30 days after recording certain property documents (such as deeds, quitclaim deeds, mortgages, or deeds of trust). The notification will be sent to the address used for mailing tax bills and can be supplemented by an optional electronic notification system. County recorders may require assessor's identification numbers to be listed on the document as a condition of recording, and they are authorized to collect a fee to cover the reasonable costs of implementing the program, with the fee subject to certain public notification requirements. The bill exempts documents where a government entity is the grantee and specifies that failure to provide notification does not create liability for the recorder. Additionally, if a recorder contracts with a third party to process or mail notifications, the contract must be awarded through a competitive bidding process. The bill also includes a provision that if the Commission on State Mandates determines the bill creates state-mandated local costs, those costs will be reimbursed according to existing statutory procedures.

Budget and Finance, Government Affairs, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB255