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Lincoln County Registry of Deeds
Timely and accurate recordkeeping can be a daunting challenge for any business, but for this busy registry office it’s all in a day’s work. The Lincoln County Registry of Deeds is responsible for recording, preserving and archiving all documents of public record - including deeds, mortgages, court records, survey plans, etc. - for a sizable mid-coast county in Maine. Additionally, the Registry must have an efficient and reliable way to access those documents and make them available to the public.
Marcia Silva, Registrar of Deeds for Lincoln County reports, “When I was first elected to the Registry in 1997, our system was very manual. We had no document scanning capabilities. Our records were sent to an out-of-state vendor who archived all documents to microfilm and sent us hardcopy books for our office. We had one public search computer to access information, and we had no control over the quality of the information we received.”
That all changed two years later when Marcia’s team at the Registry, along with County Commissioners, decided to implement a new recording and accessing system. “We partnered with Norton Lamb & Company and BROWNtech® Land Management Records System to design a whole new system that we could manage and control in house,” adds Marcia. “They consulted with us on hardware and software choices that would best meet our needs, and walked us through the process of how to make it happen.”
“Like many of our customers, Lincoln County Registry of Deeds came to us looking for a complete IT solution, yet they had no IT staff,” reports Ron Shink, president of Norton Lamb & Company. “We provided an IBM integrated solution that includes the base server supporting their full-function electronic recording and document scanning application along with email, Web capabilities, and robust security all in one box.”
Additionally, Norton Lamb & Company helped the Registry update its Web site to allow online access to documents through a secure, paid-subscriber Internet service. For a fee, subscribers can view and print documents from the convenience of their homes or workplaces.
After 9 years in use the Registry still has no IT staff needs, yet they have one of the most sophisticated documenting systems in the State with no down time. What little support they require, Norton Lamb & Company provides remotely or with an occasional site visit.
“Our new system is extremely efficient and reliable, and our customers always comment about how easy it is to use and navigate,” concludes Marcia. “From the very beginning the folks at Norton Lamb & Company have been totally committed to helping us succeed with this system. In the 9 years that we’ve worked with them, their service has been incredible. They’ve never let us down!”