Lake County Is Gouging Its Citizens Once Again

Recently received this announcement from the Lake County Recorder of Deeds:

Pursuant to the provisions of Illinois Statute, 55 ILCS 5/3-5018, the Lake County Board approved a recording fee increase. Effective December, 1, 2017 the Geographical Information System (GIS) Fund fee will be increased to $23 and the Automation Fund fee will be increased to $15. This will raise a standard, 4-page recording fee to $60. This is a flat fee and no additional charges will be included.

The base recording fee for most documents  (deeds and other documents 4 pages or less) has been $39 for the last several years.  This amounts to an increase of over 50%.  We thought that automating the recorder’s office was supposed to bring costs down.  Meanwhile, the County is building itself a new overpriced courthouse building costing our citizens over $100 million.