§ 147-54.3. Land records management program.
§147‑54.3. Land records management program.
(a) The Secretary ofState shall administer a land records management program for the purposes (i)of advising registers of deeds, local tax officials, and local planningofficials about sound management practices, and (ii) of establishing greateruniformity in local land records systems. The management program shall consistof the activities provided for in subsections (b) through (e) of this section,and other related activities essential to the effective conduct of themanagement program.
(b) The Secretary ofState, in cooperation with the Secretary of Cultural Resources and inaccordance with G.S. 121‑5(c) and G.S. 132‑8.1, shall establishminimum standards and provide advice and technical assistance to localgovernments in implementing and maintaining minimum standards with regard tothe following aspects of land records management:
(1) Uniform indexing ofland records;
(2) Uniform recordingand indexing procedures for maps, plats and condominiums; and
(3) Security andreproduction of land records.
(b1) The Department ofSecretary of State, in cooperation with the North Carolina Association ofRegisters of Deeds, Inc., and the Real Property Section of the North CarolinaBar Association, shall adopt, pursuant to Chapter 150B of the General Statutes,rules specifying the minimum indexing standards established pursuant tosubsection (b) of this section and procedures for complying with those minimumstandards in land records management. A copy of the standards adopted shall beposted in the office of the register of deeds in each county of the State.
(c) The Secretary ofState shall conduct a program for the preparation of county base maps pursuantto standards prepared by the Secretary.
(c1) The Secretary of State,shall, in cooperation with the Secretary of Revenue, conduct a program for thepreparation of county cadastral maps pursuant to standards prepared by theSecretary of State.
(d) Upon the jointrequest of any board of county commissioners and the register of deeds andsubject to available resources of personnel and funds, the Secretary shall makea management study of the office of register of deeds, using assistance fromthe Office of State Personnel. At the conclusion of the study, the Secretaryshall make nonbinding recommendations to the board, the register of deeds, andto the General Assembly.
(d1) The Secretary ofState shall make comparative salary studies periodically of all registers ofdeeds offices and at the conclusion of each study the Secretary of State shallpresent his written findings and shall make recommendations to the board ofcounty commissioners and register of deeds of each county.
(e) The Secretary ofState, in cooperation with the Secretary of Cultural Resources and in accordancewith G.S. 121‑5(c) and G.S. 132‑8.1, shall undertake research andprovide advice and technical assistance to local governments on the followingaspects of land records management:
(1) Centralizedrecording systems;
(2) Filming, filing, andrecording techniques and equipment;
(3) Computerized landrecords systems; and
(4) Storage andretrieval of land records.
(f) An advisorycommittee on land records is created to assist the Secretary in administeringthe land records management program. The Secretary of State shall appoint 12members to the committee; one member shall be appointed from each of theorganizations listed below from persons nominated by the organization:
(1) The North CarolinaAssociation of Assessing Officers;
(2) The North CarolinaSection of the American Society of Photogrammetry;
(3) The North CarolinaChapter of the American Institute of Planners;
(4) The North CarolinaSection of the American Society of Civil Engineers;
(5) The North CarolinaProperty Mappers' Association;
(6) The North CarolinaAssociation of Registers of Deeds;
(7) The North CarolinaBar Association;
(8) The North CarolinaSociety of Land Surveyors; and
(9) The North CarolinaAssociation of County Commissioners.
In addition, three members fromthe public at large shall be appointed. The members of the committee shall beappointed for four‑year terms, except that the initial terms for memberslisted in positions (1) through (4) above and for two of the members‑at‑largeshall be two years; thereafter all appointments shall be for four years. TheSecretary of State shall appoint the chairman, and the committee shall meet atthe call of the chairman. The Secretary of State in making the appointmentsshall try to achieve geographical and population balance on the advisory committee;one third of the appointments shall be persons from the most populous countiesin the State containing approximately one third of the State's population, onethird from the least populous counties containing approximately one third ofthe State's population, and one third shall be from the remaining moderatelypopulous counties containing approximately one third of the State'spopulation. Each organization shall nominate one nominee each from the morepopulous, moderately populous, and less populous counties of the State. Themembers of the committee shall receive per diem and subsistence and travelallowances as provided in G.S. 138‑5. (1977, c. 771, s. 4; c. 932,s. 1; 1985, c. 479, s. 165(d), (e); 1987, c. 738, s. 158(a); 1989, c. 523, s.8, c. 727, ss. 169, 218(116a), c.751, s. 14; 1991, c. 689, ss. 181(b), 181(c),c. 697, s. 1; 1993, c. 258.)