For Immediate Release
April 15, 2010

Twenty First Century Technology Expedites Land Purchases for Highway Improvements

Electronic delivery of documents saves time and money.

RALEIGH -Two state government departments have combined their efforts to launch a new e-commerce program that will expedite land purchases for highway improvements. The N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) and the office of the Secretary of State (SOS) worked together to create a program that will allow land record documents used by the NCDOT to be electronically delivered to the registers of deeds in each county-saving time and money. 

These records are the maps of the rights of way and easements for the parcels of land the department purchases in order to build and improve roads. Normally, these oversized maps are mailed or hand delivered to the registers of deeds where the documents are copied and recorded. The number of man hours and cost involved with the old process is substantial. The new process will dramatically decrease the time spent preparing these documents for recording, which will reduce postage costs and the use of paper. 

E-recording- a web-based digital document recording procedure -is typically used by title companies, banks and attorneys. North Carolina is the first state in the nation to use this procedure for electronic delivery of important land documents. 

"We don't have to change our current procedures, we're just sending the information electronically," DeWayne Sykes, NCDOT design engineer, said. "This is just one step to providing more user-friendly information to anyone who needs it." 

NCDOT began testing the pilot program last year at the Johnston County Register of Deeds. According to Craig Olive, register of deeds, the new program is working very well. Olive said, "It's an honor and a privilege to work with the NCDOT and SOS to make my office more efficient and save taxpayers money. I'm looking forward to having other land documents recorded in this manner." 

N.C. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall praised the NCDOT and the Johnston County Register of Deeds for moving forward with the program. "This program is historically significant because it changes the old-fashioned way of recording land documents with paper maps- that must be carried from office to office for signatures- with a 21st Century e-commerce model that moves projects towards completion in a timely and efficient manner," Marshall said. 

Nine other counties are slated to begin this program within the next few months. As the remaining counties acquire better computer technology, the program will be instituted within them. 

NCDOT's goal is to also make the plans available on its Web site in the future.