News from the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania
March 2022
Relief for the People of Ukraine
With the ongoing tragedy in Ukraine, help is desperately needed and greatly appreciated as aid groups scramble to care for millions of displaced Ukrainians. Food and other supplies inside the country are becoming increasingly scarce and civilians continue to pour over international borders seeking refuge. Contributing to humanitarian relief work has quickly come to the forefront and, thankfully, has been offered by US-based organizations. Globally, boots are on the ground in Ukraine and neighboring countries to help with shelter, food, water and other needs. There have been some local efforts initiated throughout Chester County as well, including the firefighters of Kennett Fire Company working with the United Ukrainian American Relief Committee and Senator Carolyn Comitta's Office in partnership with the Chester County Hospital, among others. During these times of challenging foreign affairs, it is not uncommon for everyday citizens to feel helpless. However, you can play a part, too, by donating to provide aid through the International Rescue Committee. Our office will be holding an internal collection of Ukrainian relief funds on April 15th in lieu of and in conjunction with the monthly county-wide Dress Down Day.
An Off-Site Visit for the Veterans of Hershey's Mill
On Friday, April 8th, the Chester County Recorder of Deeds will offer the recording of Military Discharge documents and the production of Chester County Veteran ID & Discount cards to residents of the Hershey's Mill Community from 10am to 1pm. This event is exclusive to resident veterans of Hershey’s Mill and held in partnership with the Hershey’s Mill Veterans Social Club. A light, continental breakfast with coffee & tea will be provided, sponsored by Lamb McErlane, PC.

Hershey's Mill resident veterans who record their discharge document(s) on-site will then be eligible to immediately receive 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. The Recorder of Deeds does not charge Veterans a fee for either of these services. This event will be located in "The Cove" area near the Community Pool.

These other, local veteran service organizations will also be in attendance to provide additional resources:

  • VA Medical Center of Coatesville
  • Chester County Veterans' Affairs Dept.
  • Veterans Multi-Service Center (VMC) of Downingtown
  • Representatives from Congresswoman Chrissy Houlahan’s office

Resident veterans should bring their DD-214 (original or photocopy) or other military discharge document(s) and a current form of Photo ID (i.e. driver's license, state-issued ID, U.S. Passport). Again, there is no charge for either of these services.
April is National Autism Awareness Month
Chester County is celebrating National Autism Awareness Month both internally and externally, also known as Autism Acceptance Month. A recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) among 11 surveillance sites to be 1 in 54, or 1.85 percent, among children aged 8 years in 2016. Consistent with previous reports, boys were actually 4 to 5 times more likely to be identified with ASD than girls.*

You can get involved by using the official hashtag on social media, #CelebrateDifferences, or buying and wearing a puzzle piece ribbon during April. The puzzle piece symbol signifies the complexity of the autism spectrum and the ribbon itself, containing many puzzle pieces, represents the diversity of individuals with autism and their families. Click any of the links below to access additional resources about Autism and Autism Awareness.
First Signs, Inc. support for families and professionals
UPDATE: More Cost Savings for You
In our last issue, we shared news of a projected upcoming contract amendment with our software vendor, Info Quick Solutions (IQS), in an effort to modernize our off-site backup document file storage system. Historically, images of our documents have been converted onto microfilm for permanent record keeping, which can be a very costly and cumbersome expense due to postage, physical storage, etc. Instead, the images will now be converted and stored remotely as electronic files in a secure PDF/A format.

This transition to electronic-based storage will result in a lower cost per image, which could see a potential annual cost savings of over $18,000, depending on the volume of documents processed. We are proud to say the contract amendment has been approved and finalized, and will take immediate effect throughout our operations. The Chester County Recorder of Deeds is proud to continue to identify opportunities that enable us to cut costs and modernize
Bubbles the bulldog is the official mascot of the Recorder of Deeds and best fur friend to Second 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!
If a property is not part of a subdivision (has no plan nor lot number) is a Recital needed?
Bubbles says... "Yes. The UPI ordinance states that a citation must be provided that states the most current location where the metes and bounds may be found."
Recorded Documents: YTD
18,864
as of 3/30/22
88%
eRecording
News from the Office of the Recorder of Deeds, Chester County, Pennsylvania
March 2022