Local News

Leitheiser Objects to Proposed Fee Hike

Fri, 14 May 2021 12:33:01 CDT
Montgomery County Clerk/Recorder Sandy Leitheiser joins other County Clerk/Recorders throughout Illinois who are speaking out against a proposed fee increase for land documents recorded by customers in that office. According to Leitheiser, House Bill 3878 has passed the Illinois House and is at the Senate committee level now. It was put forward by seven Chicago based House members in the current session. HB 3878 proposes raising the Rental Housing Support Program (RHSP) portion of land document

recording fees from the current price of $9.00 to $18.00. This would increase fees for land documents recorded with County Recorders across the state of Illinois including Deeds, Mortgages, Releases and Easements along with other documents related to land ownership in Illinois. The Illinois Association of County Clerks and Recorders position on

HB3878 is neutral, however, earlier this month a bipartisan group of Central Illinois County Clerks/Recorders released a joint statement sharing their concerns about this fee increase. Among the complaints lodged by County Clerk/Recorders regarding the legislation is that money currently raised via the current $9.00 RHSP fee is not equitably returning to the counties who collected it and audits of past RHSP fund disbursements have negative findings. “I am against any legislation doubling the RHSP fee at this time, and have relayed my views to both Senator Turner’s office staff and Representative Bourne,” Leitheiser stated. “In addition to minimal funds returning to serve the needy at the county levels, there is a lack of transparency and proper documentation of how the current funds are being distributed throughout the state, which is very troubling.”

Leitheiser said since the RHSP’s program’s inception by legislation in 2005, Montgomery County has collected $626,859 for the fund, and the county is fortunate that our local community action agency (CEFS) has applied for RHSP grants which currently serves eight rental households in our county. She stated after completing research, she can find no other county return of RHSP funds collected by Montgomery County recording fees to help with local rental housing assistance. According to recent statistics provided by the Illinois Housing Development Authority, 24 counties and 7 small metropolitan cities have never received RHSP funds to serve their local landlords and renters with rental housing support needs, with much of the funding going to the Chicago metro areas. In Central Illinois, the counties of Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Logan, Macoupin and Morgan and municipalities of Bloomington, Decatur, Normal and Urbana have never received RHSP funds for their local residents’ use.

Leitheiser encourages anyone who would like to voice their opposition to HB 3878 to contact their legislators and welcomes those needing further information to contact her by phone at 217-532-9530 or by email at sandyl@montgomeryco.com.