The Maryland Judiciary has been recognized by the Mid-Atlantic Association for Court Management (MAACM) for its advancements in modernizing the land records recording process. The John Neufeld Court Achievement Award for 2017 was awarded to the Maryland Judiciary for implementing an electronic system that facilitates the e-recording of land record documents.
This new system offers a more efficient alternative to the traditional paper filing method, which requires title companies and attorneys to visit multiple locations for approvals from various departments. With e-recording, these professionals can access the online system at any time from their offices.
"The Maryland Judiciary is committed to using technology to increase efficiency and to meet the need for convenient, secure, and streamlined court services," stated Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera. "The Neufeld Award recognizes not only a significant improvement of the recordation process but also our ongoing, successful collaboration with state and local government partners and other important stakeholders who rely on court information."
The e-recording initiative began as a pilot project in 2015 through a collaborative effort involving several organizations including the Administrative Office of the Courts and Baltimore County's Department of Budget and Finance. Following its success, e-recording has been expanded to multiple counties in Maryland with plans to extend it statewide within 18 months.
In its initial phase, nearly 50,000 documents were processed through this system last year. As it becomes available across Maryland, this number is expected to rise significantly given that approximately 768,000 land record property transfer documents were processed during the same period. Projections indicate that about 65 percent or nearly 500,000 documents will be recorded electronically each year.
MAACM is an organization comprising over 700 court professionals dedicated to enhancing justice administration through improved court management. It provides forums for information sharing, education, and networking among diverse court professionals.
The John Neufeld Court Achievement Award honors groups or court systems in the mid-Atlantic region that develop initiatives improving customer service and teamwork while utilizing current technologies. "MAACM is honored to present this prestigious award in John's name to the Maryland Judiciary. John would be proud that his legacy and passion for court education and improvement has lived on," said Donna Mazzanti, Immediate Past President of MAACM.
The award was presented during MAACM's Annual Conference held on September 26 in Portsmouth, Virginia.