Title
A Resolution Of The City Commission Of The City Of Hollywood, Florida, Setting The Lien Search And Certification Fee At $125.00 For Standard Service And $195.00 For Expedited Service.
Body
Staff Recommends: Approval of the attached Resolution.
Explanation:
Pursuant to Section 38.80 of the Municipal Code of Ordinances and at the request of property owners or their representatives (lawyers, realtors, title companies, and other interested parties), the Director of the Department of Financial Services is authorized to search City records to identify unpaid municipal liens and municipal charges, and to issue a certificate of the results of the search that is binding upon the City. Further, Section 38.80(C) of the Municipal Code of Ordinances states that the fee charged by the City to conduct a lien search and certify the results is to be established by resolution of the City Commission. The authority to conduct lien searches and issue certificates was first enacted by the City Commission in 1994 pursuant to Ordinance No. O-94-54 at which time the lien search fee was set at $25.00. The lien search fee was revised to $50.00 pursuant to Resolution No. R-2004-234 in July 2004, to $75.00 pursuant to Resolution No. R-2010-063 in March 2010, and to $100.00 pursuant to Resolution No. R-2014-036 in February 2014. The City administration is proposing to set the lien search fee at $125.00 for standard service and at $195.00 for expedited service to offset the cost of conducting lien searches and certifying the results.
The lien search fee is typically paid by title companies or closing agents and then passed on to the property owner at the time of the closing on property sales or refinancing. The City collected over $580,000.00 in lien search fees in FY 2015.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Dr. Wazir Ishmael, City Manager
George Keller, Assistant City Manager for Finance & Administration
Mirtha Dziedzic, Interim Director of Financia...
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