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Sec. 7-14. Land records indexes. Examination of land records. Attestation of records and photocopies. Town records. Certification as to examination of records and indexes. General index of land record

      Sec. 7-14. Land records indexes. Examination of land records. Attestation of records and photocopies. Town records. Certification as to examination of records and indexes. General index of land records. Penalties. The selectmen of each town, or the administrative head of the town if other than the selectmen, shall annually appoint some suitable person to carefully examine the indexes of the land records of their respective towns for the preceding year and to note and report in writing to the town clerk all errors and omissions in the same. The person so appointed shall examine the land records and note all omissions by the town clerk or his authorized assistant to attest the records of conveyances of land with the genuine signatures of the town clerk or his assistant, provided, in those towns using a photographic process, it shall be a sufficient attestation of the land records if the town clerk or assistant town clerk shall note on the recorded copy the date and time of receipt of the instrument for record and the name of the recording officer and shall sign a certificate and affix his seal thereto, at the end of each volume of the land records or at the end of such recording in such volume, certifying and attesting that the records preceding such certificate are true copies of the originals left with the town clerk for record. Such certificate shall be in the following form:

      This is to certify that all of the copies of instruments in volume ...., pages .... through ...., of the land records of the town of ...., covering the period from .... through ...., are true copies of the original instruments received for record.

      .... (Seal)

Town Clerk.

Selectmen or such administrative head shall annually ascertain the condition of all records of their respective towns and cause any such records to be carefully repaired, arranged in order of pages and rebound, whenever such repairs and rebinding are necessary for the preservation of such records. Such selectmen or administrative head shall, on or before December thirtieth of each year, submit to the Public Records Administrator a certificate that the examinations of indexes and inspection of records required by this section have been completed, together with a summary statement of the results of such examination and inspection. In all towns in which there is no general index of the land records, the selectmen or administrative head shall cause a general index to be made and appoint some competent person to make the same under the supervision of the Public Records Administrator, and the expense thereof shall be paid by the town. The selectmen or administrative head of any town who fails to comply with any provision of this section shall be fined not less than five nor more than twenty-five dollars.

      (1949 Rev., S. 538; 1963, P.A. 48; 1967, P.A. 225.)

      History: 1963 act added provision for attestation of records in towns using photographic process; 1967 act included administrative heads other than selectmen, deleted requirement that examiners of land records be appointed in September and that selectmen or administrative head check condition of records, required certification to examiner of public records and removed requirement that fine be levied for each month's delay.

      See Secs. 7-24 to 7-26, inclusive, re records and indexes of instruments.

      See Sec. 11-8(b) re appointment of Public Records Administrator.