New-York tribune., 1885-02-09
REAL ESTATE TRANSFER REFORM

There is reason to hope that the fast-increasing
difficulties that now surround the transfer OF real
estate in this city will To a great degree be re-
moved in the next generation. II the reforms that
Mr. Southmayd and his associates on the Land
Transfer Reform Commission are soon 10 propose To
the Legislature can bo carried into successful OPP
Grafton the selling, mortgaging or leasing OF New
York real property fifty years hence VIII III TACT DO
,he SIMPLE and inexpensive transaction which now
IL ought TO be- but is not. With only one dissent
ing voice the Commissioners propose the passage of
a law recurring all future transfers or incumbran-
ces TO be indexed against the particular piece of
property affected, rather than against the name OF
the individual BY referring To such index one
couId then see at a glance just what instruments
there were on record against any particular lot
The benefits of such a system might not be feit
largely for many years. because II would still be
necessary to follow out the present tedious and
EXPENSIVE method with regard to past rec
ords But the task would become simpler
with each succeeding year, and half a
century hence Its advantages would be realized
oompletsly The Commissioners wisely hesitate
To recommend that all past records should be rein
dexed in the same manner. private corporation
has accomplished the task in Philadelphia and
probably would have done it in New-fork, If the
Register had not,driven its clerks from his Office ;
but past experience gives Ho lcdSoH w p0h''o NAV
the city could undertake such a great work with
ont enormous expense and without political jobs
II il ig concluded to authorize the attempt, the
greatest care should be taken TO prevent the work
from falling into improper hands Or course the
few persons Interested in the present bad system
NAV be counted on to oppose by every means III
their power all reforms which interfere with their
special privileges; but they Will get httie pubic
syinpathy and viii deserve none.
The beneficial effects OF one change favored by
the Conmission-that which proposes TO shorten
by law the length of the form of deeds, mortgages,
lenses tetc-woEld be felt ut once. We owe the
obsurdly long instruments, with all their jargon
ofancient legal vcrbosty, now in general use to
England and her lawyers. But Parliament inter-
fered several years ago To compel the use of SEN
sihle short forms ; aud tho English barrister now
o,ens his eyes with amazement when he learns
that Americans still cling to the old forms
which England discarded with great advan-
taqe. The only grave objection that
has becn made to the substitution OF
such abbreviated forms written in plain English was
that until they had boen passed upon by the courts,
serious questions to title might arise. 1t has
been argued that all the language employed IN
the long forms has been adjudicated upon over and
over again and its meaning determined beyond per-
nd ventura; and that account lawyers would pro-
far to use them. despite their length. rather than
;neur sny peril to their clients titles But where.
a. recommended by the Commission, the law de-
cIares that the specified short forms shall have tho
same effect and meaning as the apguage OF the long
ones. that difficulty and objection seem to disap'