News from the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania
July 2021
Officials:
Chris Pielli, Esq., Recorder
Erin VanRyn, First Deputy
Diane O'Dwyer, Second Deputy
Nancy W. Pine, Esq., Solicitor
Mailing Address:
Chester County Recorder of Deeds
313 W. Market Street, Suite 3302
P.O. Box 2748
West Chester, PA 19382
Telephone: (610) 344-6330
Fax: (610) 344-6408
Email: RODinfo@chesco.org

Click "Records Search" for records online.
Hours: The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Same-day document recording stops at 4:00pm. Same-day plan recording stops at 3:00pm.
Fees: For a full list, click here.
For more FAQs and an archive of past newsletters, please visit www.chesco.org/recorder.
Recorder Remarks
Hi Folks,

We hope this issue of Good Deeds finds you all safe and well. One of the hottest summers on record seems to be no deterrent to our record-breaking pace of recording. While 2020 broke all expectations regarding the number of documents recorded annually, we are still on pace to surpass those figures for 2021. However, this has not slowed us down nor dissuaded us to follow up on other important related duties since the pandemic has somewhat receded, like our Veteran Discharge Recording outreach mission. We are happy to announce that we were in the field and deployed to our good friends at V.F.W. Post #287 in Coatesville on Thursday, July 29th, to welcome veterans and record their DD-214s while also giving them our Chester County Veteran ID & Discount cards. Attendees enjoyed Post #287’s event, which included other Veteran-related organizations that came to spread the word about Veteran benefits and programs. A special thank-you to Post Chaplain Bob McGonigle and all the Post officers for their invitation.

As a veteran and an attorney, I can tell you that it is extremely important to safeguard your DD-214. Should you or your family need to apply for Veteran benefits on your behalf, they will need an original or a certified copy of this document. Besides the VA, we are the only local entity that can give you a certified copy if you recorded your original with us. All too often, family members ask us if their deceased loved one recorded their DD-214 as they desperately search for this record to apply for his or her burial benefits. We even get calls regarding lost or destroyed discharge paperwork. Do not put yourselves or your family in such a bind. Come on in to the West Chester office or go to one of our off-site events to record your DD-214 free of charge and, in return, receive a Chester County Veteran photo ID card that is honored for discounts at over 100 of our business partners in Chester County.

As always, we thank you for your continued support of our department. It is an honor to serve you, the public, to the best of our ability. We welcome any feedback to help improve and successfully continue our mission. Until our next issue, Stay Well, Stay Safe and Stay Strong. Please note, you can sign up for future publications here if you have received this in forward.
Chris Pielli, Esq.
Recorder of Deeds
In Memoriam
Marlene A. Reinhart
January 3, 1950 - July 25, 2021
Coatesville, PA | Age 71

It is with great sadness that we report the passing of one of our retired ROD team members, Marlene A. Reinhart. Marlene started at the Chester County Recorder of Deeds on Oct. 11, 1997 and retired on Aug. 24, 2013. She is fondly remembered and will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family. Please visit Marlene’s online memorial by going to www.kuzoandfoulkfh.com.
Safety First
The safety and welfare of our staff and clients is the highest priority. That is why we are proud to partner with the Department of Emergency Services (DES) and the Chester County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) to have a roundtable discussion about our department's emergency preparedness and Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). Led by DES, the "Emergency Response Planning Workshop" addressed goals, exercise and evaluation practices, the County's emergency operations plan, the departmental COOP objectives and organization process, an active threat annex, Emergency Action Plan (EAP), and prevention strategies. We look forward to developing our current plans in this area and continuing to work collaboratively with DES and CCSO in the coming months.
From left: Adan Sibley (CCSO), Daniel Donegan (DES), John Doran (ROD), Chris Pielli (ROD), Diane O'Dwyer (ROD), Kevin Dykes (CCSO), Heather DeStefano (DES), Chrissy Simpkins (DES), and Cameron Zettlemoyer (DES).
ENDING SOON: Notary's 30-Day Extension
The Pennsylvania Governor's 30-day extension of the 45-day period allotted for appointed notaries to get sworn in and record their bond/oath/commission with the Recorder of Deeds, and to register the notary signature with the Prothonotary, is coming to an end.

The last day to complete the process is found IN BOLD on the notary's appointment letter (for appointees) and on the commission (for Recorders).

For clarity, appointed notaries whose last day to record is up to and including August 31, 2021 will receive the full 30-day extension until September 30, 2021. Those whose appointment letter and commission state a last day between September 1 – 29, 2021 will be the last group of appointees to get any extra time, and the extra time will diminish each day (with no extension surpassing September 30th). Appointed notaries whose last day to record falls on or after September 30, 2021 will no longer receive an extension, but rather have the standard 45-day period to get sworn in and record their documents with the Recorder of Deeds (and register their notary signature).

Source: DOS.PA.gov
Returning to Local VFWs to Record Military Discharges
& Process Veteran IDs Off-site
The Chester County Recorder of Deeds recorded Military Discharge documents and produced Chester County Veteran ID & Discount cards at the Veterans of Foreign Wars (V.F.W.) Post #287 in Coatesville on Thursday, July 29th.
 
Veterans and guests were able to explore the facility and enjoy light refreshments at the on-site bar before and after taking advantage of the Chester County Recorder of Deeds' Military Discharge and Chester County Veteran ID & Discount Programs without having to travel to the Chester County Government office in West Chester.
 
Attending veterans who recorded their discharge document(s) on-site immediately received a county-issued photo ID card, at no cost. A collection of roughly 100 Chester County businesses partner with the Recorder of Deeds to offer various discounts and specials to veterans who present their County ID Card at the time of purchase or services rendered.
 
Why is this helpful to veterans? If a fire, natural disaster, relocation or other event results in the loss of a veteran’s original documents, the Recorder of Deeds department keeps their images and related information stored in perpetuity, so veterans and their families can easily request certified replacement copies at a later time if necessary for U.S. Veteran status or benefits. Veterans who resided in another county or state when they were discharged may have had their DD-214 recorded in that region; however, it is recommended that the veteran also record the DD-214 in the county where he or she currently resides.
 
The Recorder of Deeds does not charge veterans a fee for either of these services when completed off-site nor in the office, and plans to participate in more off-site events at different locations in the near future. Event updates and more information can be found on our website.
Bubbles the bulldog is the official mascot of the Recorder of Deeds and best fur friend to First Deputy Erin VanRyn. Bubbles has all the answers to common questions as well as helpful tips to expedite your recording process without any major issues. Woof-hoo!
Can you email me a older map that is not currently accessible in your online system?
Bubbles says, "Sure!" We can scan and email the maps; however the fee for this service is $5.00 per page and the map file must be two (2) pages or less.

Maps containing 3 or more pages must be mailed out. The customer making the request must provide advanced payment and an envelope large enough for the plans to be mailed back in, with postage. If you have any further questions about this capability or process, please contact our office.
Recorded Documents: YTD
61,343
as of 7/28/21
89%
eRecording
News from the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania
July 2021
County of Chester, Recorder of Deeds | Website