St. Louis City Recorder & Registrar News
2012 St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar
Employees Charitable Fundraising
January 8, 2012
Big Changes Come to Driver Licenses and IDs
In December, the Missouri Department of Revenue began issuing Driver Licenses and Nondriver Identification Cards with new security features and new looks.
The changes are intended to "enhance security and reduce the risk of fraud," according to Alana M. Barragán, DOR Director.
Same-day over-the-counter License and ID services for obtaining a plastic License or ID card are no longer provided by DOR License offices.
Instead, License offices, including services in Room 111 at City Hall provided by the St. Louis City Collector of Revenue, issue a paper Temporary License or ID and, if applicable, the old License or ID is punched "VOID" and returned to the Customer. The State Seal of Missouri and word "TEMPORARY" are printed with heat-sensitive ink on the documents. The ink fades to white when exposed to warmth.
The St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar accepts the Temporary License or ID for purposes of photo identification necessary for Birth Certificate and Death Certificate copy services.
The Customer should receive a plastic License or ID in 7 to 10 business days by mail in an unmarked envelope.
Drivers under the age of twenty-one are now issued vertical Licenses.
More information on Missouri's new Driver Licenses and ID Cards is available online at the Missouri Department of Revenue.
October 4, 2012 Consumer Alert
Overpriced Deed Copies Now Sold
From Jefferson City Mailbox
Homeowners across Missouri are again receiving solicitations (copy, homeowner's information redacted) to purchase unnecessary copies of their property deeds at a steep price, resulting in county Recorders of Deeds issuing more consumer alerts.
In St. Louis City, there have been two prior consumer warnings this year.
This time, however, the business name and location are similar to a government office, the business is not registered with the State, and the cost is even higher than previous mailings.
Offers to sell homeowners a copy of their deed for $89.00 are coming from Local Records Service, 1709 Missouri Blvd Suite 2 #331, Jefferson City, MO 65109. The location is a UPS Store.
"The mailer states it is not associated with a government office. The name and Jefferson City address imply otherwise," said Sharon Quigley Carpenter, St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar.
"Local Records is the name of a records preservation program in Jefferson City under the Missouri Secretary of State, and is sometimes referred to as the Local Records Office."
The business is not registered with the Secretary of State's Corporations Division.
"The latest solicitation states that you can buy a copy of your deed from your country recorder but it may cost up to $89.00, which is absurd."
"You do not need a copy of your deed. If you do need a certified copy of your deed, it will cost you $5.00-$7.00 in our office. In most cases, you can get it in a matter of minutes over the counter or in the mail next day."
In August, the St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar issued a Consumer Alert on deed re-sale solicitations by National Record Service of Northbrook, Illinois, which had previously operated as Record Retrieval Department from a mailbox in Fulton, Missouri, resulting in a March Consumer Alert.
Recorders of Deeds in Missouri have been receiving consumer inquiries and complaints and issuing consumer alerts on deed re-sale businesses since 2007.
For more information contact Chief Deputy Peggy Meeker
at 314.589.8170.
Printable version of Consumer Alert.
September 28, 2012
Over $700 Raised to Fight Blindness
Raffle Winners Announced
City employees raised a total of $736.00 this year for the Foundation Fighting Blindness. The amount was raised from ticket sales for the 2nd Annual City Hall Raffle to Benefit Foundation Fighting Blindness and casual day fees collected by St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar employees, sponsors of the charity effort.
Raffle winners include: 1st Prize Lottery Tree -
Russ Krehbiel, Facilities Management; 2nd Prize St. Louis Cardinals Gnome - Peggy Meeker, Chief Deputy, Recorder and Registrar Office; 3rd Prize Bottle of Wine - Marilyn Murphy, Earnings Tax, Collector of Revenue Office; and 4th Prize Bottle of Wine - Barb Speropolous, Birth Records Dept., Recorder and Registrar Office. Second Chance prize winners of ice creams bars were Kevin Hampton, Benton Park; Mary Jenkerson, Earnings Tax, Collector of Revenue; and Patty Brown, Marriage License Dept., Recorder and Registrar Office.
Congratulations to all the winners and thanks for helping us surpass last year's fundraising for Foundation Fighting Blindness.
September 25, 2012
Ticket Sales Underway for City Hall Raffle
To Benefit Foundation Fighting Blindness
The 2nd Annual City Hall Raffle to benefit Foundation Fighting Blindness features a Grand Prize Lottery Ticket Tree with 20 Missouri Lottery scratcher tickets and merchandise. Second Prize is a St. Louis Cardinals Gnome. Third Prize is wine.
The fundraiser is sponsored by employees of the St. Louis City Recorder and Registrar Office. Tickets are $1 each or $5 for 6 Tickets and may be purchased from the Recorder and Registrar Cashiers in Room 126, City Hall.
Drawing will be held at
10 a.m. Friday, September 28, in Room 126. Winners will be contacted by phone, then names posted on the event's web page.
Foundation Fighting Blindness is dedicated to research for preventions, treatments and cures for people affected by retinitis pigmentosa (RP), macular degeneration, Usher syndrome, and the entire spectrum of retinal degenerative diseases.
In addition to the annual raffle, Recorder and Registrar employees are donating casual day fees from the month of September to the Foundation.
August 22, 2012
Recorder & Registrar Employees Raise Funds
For Three Charities Over Summer
Employees of the St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds and Vital Records Registrar raised a total of $787.00 between June and August for charities.
In June, employee casual day fees in the amount of $217.00 were collected for St. Louis University Cancer Center Research Fund, in memory of Robert Ragsdale, brother-in-law of Recorder & Registrar Sharon Quigley Carpenter.
Recorder and Registrar Cashier Carol Evans represented the office in this year's Muscular Dystrophy Association Jail and B
ail.
In July, employee casual day fees totalling $250.00 were dedicated to MDA.
photo courtesy of MDA: Carol Evans's Jail & Bail MDA Lock-Up mug shot
In August, Recorder and Registrar IT Manager Glen Bates represented the office in the 2012 St. Louis Ride for Kids to benefit
Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. August casual day fees and donations from customers totalling $320.00 were raised for that effort.
To date this year, Recorder & Registrar employees have raised $2,358.36 for charities.
August 2, 2012
Overpriced Deed Copy Resale Business
Targets St. Louis Homeowners, Again
An alert St. Louis City homeowner received a solicitation from a business, located in a North Shore suburb of Chicago, offering to sell her a copy of her property deed at a steep price. She did the right thing, contacted the office at City Hall that records land deeds and provides copies.
"The company offers an unnecessary, expensive service with a ridiculously long response time. We urge homeowners to just ignore these solicitations," says Sharon Quigley Carpenter, St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds & Vital Records Registrar.
The mailing (copy, homeowner's information redacted) came from National Record Service, Inc., a deed copy resale business currently at 3375 Commercial Avenue, Northbrook, Illinois 60062 with phone number 888-480-2711.
The company has operated under numerous names, including National Deed Service, and previously solicited from a mailbox in Fulton, Missouri. The St. Louis City Recorder & Registrar has issued consumer alerts on the company since 2007.
National Record Service purchases certified copies of real estate deeds for $5.00 to $7.00 each from the St. Louis City Recorder & Registrar and resells them to homeowners for $59.50 each, second copy discounted to $20.00. Previously the company's copy fee was $87.50 per deed.
The solicitation includes, "The U.S. Government Federal Citizen Information Center website recommends that property owners should have an official or certified copy of their deed… This document provides evidence that your property was transferred to you."
"Here, most homeowners do not need certified copies of their property deed. If you do need or want a copy, that's our job. We're the safe deposit box for your recorded deeds. In the event of some calamity affecting our office in City Hall, we have a real-time off-site back-up system outside of St. Louis."The company's website states, "National Deed Service, Inc. makes every effort to send out your deed within thirty to sixty days."
"Our office provides over the counter deed copy service, in most cases, within a few minutes. Mailed copies usually go out same day the request is received."
St. Louis City homeowners with questions about deed copy services may call the St. Louis City Recorder & Registrar's Land Records Department at 613.3149.
August 1, 2012
MoEVR Death Registration System
Now In Transition Phase
Previous information here
July 26, 2012
Recorder & Registrar Employee Patricia Prete Passes
Recorder of Deeds & Vital Records Registrar Sharon Quigley Carpenter and employees mourn the death of friend and colleague Patricia Prete.
Patricia worked at the Recorder & Registrar's Office for twenty-two years in the former Uniform Commercial Code Department, Marriage License Department and, most recently, in the Land Records Department.
She was known for her contagious laugh, friendly demeanor, and profound commitment to her family, and will be greatly missed.
Photo on Patricia's desk at City Hall. Patricia with Angela, Quanesha, Quannie-B, Marquan Jr.
Patricia and her family are in our thoughts and prayers.
Wake is set for 4-7 p.m. Monday at Hosea Gales Mortuary Chapel.
Services will be held 11 a.m. Tuesday at Kennerly Temple Church, 4259 West Kennerly, across from Sumner High School, and Repast at Carr Community School, 1629 Biddle Street.
2012 Archived News
2011 Archived News
