Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB978 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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	3	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 978 Page 1 1
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29		-	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
30		-
31		-	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
32		-
33		-	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
34	27
35	28		ENGROSSED SENATE
36	29		BILL NO. 978 By: Howard of the Senate
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38	31		and
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40	33		Pfeiffer of the House
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45	38		An Act relating to recordable instruments; amending
46	39		19 O.S. 2021, Section 298, as amended by Section 1,
47	40		Chapter 250, O.S.L. 2024 (19 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section
48	41		298), which relates to filing of recordable
49	42		instruments; modifying certain margin requirements;
50	43		providing an effective date; and declaring an
51	44		emergency.
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57	50		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
58	51		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 19 O.S. 2021, Section 298, as
59	52		amended by Section 1, Chapter 250, O.S.L. 2024 (19 O.S. Supp. 2024,
60	53		Section 298), is amended to read as follows:
61	54		Section 298. A. Every county clerk in this state shall require
62	55		that the mandates of the Legislature be complied w ith, as expressed
63	56		in Sections 287 and 291 of this title, and for that purpose, every
64	57		instrument offered which may be accepted by the county clerk for
65	58		recording, affecting specific real property whether of conveyance,
66	59		encumbrance, assignment, or release of encumbrance, lease,
	60	+	assignment of lease or release of lease, shall be an original or
	61	+	certified copy of an original instrument and clearly legible in
	62	+	accordance with the provisions of subsection B of this section, and
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68		-	SB978 HFLR Page 2
69		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	64	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 978 Page 2 1
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94		-	assignment of lease or release of lease, shall be an original or
95		-	certified copy of an original instrument and clearly legible in
96		-	accordance with the provisions of subsection B of this section, and
97	89		shall by its own terms describe the pro perty by its specific legal
98	90		description, and provide such information as is necessary for
99	91		indexing as required in Sections 287 and 291 of this tit le, and on
100	92		each such instrument shall be listed the mailing address of the
101	93		grantee, mortgagee, assignee or oth er designated party to which the
102	94		instrument is to be delivered after recording. If an instrument
103	95		offered to a county clerk for recording contains more than twenty -
104	96		five legal descriptions requiring separate entries in the indexes
105	97		required by Sections 287 a nd 291 of this title, the descriptions
106	98		shall be sorted by addition, block, and lot if platted property, or
107	99		by township, range, and section if desc ribed by governmental survey
108	100		description. Any instrument offered to a county clerk for recording
109	101		containing more than twenty-five legal descriptions per page,
110	102		counted as each description which could require a separate line
111	103		entry in the numerical index, shall be accompanied by an additional
112	104		filing fee of One Dollar ($1.00) per legal description in excess of
113	105		twenty-five legal descriptions per page to be paid to the county
114	106		clerk. Unless the person offering a nonconforming instrument for
115	107		filing is willing to reform the instrument to conform to statutory
116	108		requirements, for which purpose it may be withdrawn and refiled
117	109		during the same business day, the county clerk may refuse to record
	110	+	the same in the records of deeds, leases or mortgages or to index
	111	+	the same upon the index records referred to in Section 287 or 291 of
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119		-	SB978 HFLR Page 3
120		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	113	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 978 Page 3 1
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145		-	the same in the records of deeds, leases or mortgages or to index
146		-	the same upon the index records referred to in Section 287 or 291 of
147	138		this title, or to file or record the same in the offi ce of the
148	139		county clerk.
149	140		B. All documents filed of record in the office of the county
150	141		clerk pursuant to subsection A of this section or pursuant t o any
151	142		other law shall be an original or a certified copy of an original
152	143		document. Such documents shall be cle arly legible, in the English
153	144		language, using xerographically reproducible dark ink, on paper of a
154	145		color that is xerographically reproducible by the copying equipment
155	146		in use by the county clerk. Unless otherwise provided by law, such
156	147		documents shall measur e no larger than eight and one -half (8 1/2)
157	148		inches by fourteen (14) inches. All documents shall provide an area
158	149		free of printed information suffi cient in size to accommodate
159	150		affixation of the documentary stamps required by Section 3201 of
160	151		Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, any certification of the payment
161	152		of mortgage taxes required by Section 1901 et seq. of Title 68 of
162	153		the Oklahoma Statutes, and the recording information affixed by the
163	154		county clerk upon acceptance of a document for recordation. Any
164	155		part of a signature or any stray markings within the margin shall
165	156		not void the requirements for accepting and filing any document by
166	157		any county within the state, provided there remains sufficient space
167	158		for the affixation of stamps and recording information with out
168	159		covering language contained in the instrument. If an instrument
	160	+	submitted to the county clerk for recording does not contain
	161	+	sufficient space for the affixation of such stamps and recording
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170		-	SB978 HFLR Page 4
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	163	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 978 Page 4 1
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196		-	submitted to the county clerk for recording does not contain
197		-	sufficient space for the affixation of such stamps and recording
198	188		information without covering language contained in the instru ment,
199	189		the county clerk shall attach an additional page to the document to
200	190		provide for the affixation of such stamps and recording information.
201	191		A county clerk shall not charge any additional fee or fine for stray
202	192		markings within the margin of a document. The top margin of the
203	193		first page of all documents shall be at least two (2) inches and all
204	194		other margins shall be at least one (1) inch.
205	195		C. Despite any provision in this section to the contrary, the
206	196		county clerk shall accept for filing any document that f ails to meet
207	197		the requirements of subsection B of this section if:
208	198		1. The document is an original or a certified copy of an
209	199		original;
210	200		2. The document is legible without the aid of magnification or
211	201		other enhancement of the text;
212	202		3. The document is xerogra phically reproducible by the copying
213	203		equipment in use by the county clerk;
214	204		4. The document meets all other statutory requirements for
215	205		recordation; and
216	206		5. The person offering the instrument for recording pays the
217	207		additional fee provided in Section 32 of T itle 28 of the Oklahoma
218	208		Statutes for nonconforming documents.
	209	+	D. Despite any provision in this section to the contrary, a
	210	+	digitized image or elec tronic copy of an original or certified copy
	211	+	of an original instrument or document shall satisfy the requireme nt
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220		-	SB978 HFLR Page 5
221		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	213	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 978 Page 5 1
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246		-	D. Despite any provision in this section to the contrary, a
247		-	digitized image or electroni c copy of an original or certified copy
248		-	of an original instrument or document shall satisfy the requireme nt
249	238		that the document be an original or certified copy of an original
250	239		instrument or document, provided that the digitized image or
251	240		electronic copy is submitted for recording electronically pursuant
252	241		to the Uniform Real Property Electronic Recording Act in Ti tle 16 of
253	242		the Oklahoma Statutes and all other rules promulgated pursuant to
254	243		that act.
255	244		E. This section shall not apply to plats, filings under the
256	245		Uniform Commercial Code, or any other instruments that may be filed
257	246		pursuant to any other law.
258	247		F. All documents accepted for filing, including all documents
259	248		filed before February 18, 1997, shall be deemed to comply with the
260	249		requirements of this section and, except as otherwise provided by
261	250		law, impart constructive notice of the contents of such document to
262	251		third parties unless a person claiming adversely to any such
263	252		document files an affidavit setting forth the basis of such claim in
264	253		the office of the coun ty clerk of the county where the property is
265	254		located within six (6) months from February 18, 1997.
266	255		SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
267	256		SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
268	257		of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
	258	+	declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
	259	+	be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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270		-	SB978 HFLR Page 6
271		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	261	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 978 Page 6 1
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296		-	declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
297		-	be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
	286	+	Passed the Senate the 11th day of March, 2025.
298	287
299		-	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY
300		-	OVERSIGHT, dated 04/22/2025 - DO PASS.
	288	+
	289	+
	290	+	Presiding Officer of the Senate
	291	+
	292	+
	293	+	Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
	294	+	2025.
	295	+
	296	+
	297	+
	298	+	Presiding Officer of the House
	299	+	of Representatives
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