Sec. 1. 33 MRSA §752, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 503, §1, is amended to read:

2. Account. The surcharge imposed in subsection 1 must be transferred to the county treasurer who shall deposit it in a separate nonlapsing account within 30 days of receipt. Money in the account is not available for use as a general revenue of the county. Interest earned on the account must be credited to the account.

Sec. 2. 33 MRSA §752, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2003, c. 294, §1, is further amended to read:

3. Expenditures from account. The money in the account established in subsection 2 must be used for is available for use as a general revenue of the county, including, but not limited to, the restoration, re-creation and preservation of the records recorded in the office of the register of deeds, including preservation by creation of a digital image stored on magnetic or optical media.

SUMMARY

This bill allows counties to use the $3 surcharge on the recording of deeds as general revenue for the county.