The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1893-10-25

Under a New Law, Deeds Must Be
Rscorusd In Ninety Days.
According T. the Pittsburgh Post, lawyers
and real estate owners are troubled over
new law passed By the las; legislature. and
which hss just become known in that city
On May 10, 1898, Governor PAttison signed
law which provides that all deeds must be
recorded within ninety days after they are
drawn, or become void and fraudulent
This law was rushed through without the
lawyers knowing anything about it, Under
the old law the purchaser bad six months 10
which TO file the deed for bis property. The
nes bill became law Immediately upon
receiving the governors 81 nature. bat the
lawyers did not know this and all transfers
Of real estate have been made under the old
law.
Il IS almost impossible 10 estimate the re-
salt The complications are almost endless.
In many instances one piece Of property has
been transferred several times, and while
there is no way Of estimating how many
deeds are clOuded By this law, there are
doubtless large number OF them. This is
not all, for in cases where The deeds have
not beeR recorded the present holder Of the
property is liable for any Judgment that
nay have been entered during the ninety
days following the drawing OF the deed. Il
Is also an open question as TO whether
judgments entered since that time are not
liens sgainst the property, and only a su
preme court decision can determine the mat
ter.
Title examines estimate that thousands
Of dollars will be lost by purchasers who
were ignorant OF this law. Ole Of them in
speaking Of the matter yesterday said al
most every title that has been transferred
since the I9ih Of May will be elouded We
had no idea Of the existence OF this new
law and al of US acted under the old one
which gave us SIX months in which TO re
cord deeds. As understand the new law
unless the grantee records his deed inside Of
90 dsys be is res sponsible for any judgments
that may be fed against the grantos up to
the time the deed is recorded. II he deed is
recorded 81 days after the agreement is sign
Ell the property is liable for any judgment
that may have been entered in that time, as
well as any judgments that may have been
entered after that time for debts contracted
during the period that the deed was uure-
corded.
The only wsy to clear these titles is for
the grantee TO clear OF all claims that may
be sgainst him aud then give bond, as is
done in cases where property is bought from
an estate. In some cases this viii be practi-
cally impossible an the results viii be end
less lawsuits The law in its self is good,
for it is proper to compel the recording Of
deeds IS soon as possible after the sale is
made But was outrageous 10 pass such a
law and make it operative al once without
giving the lawyers any notice oft.
Some special notice sboald be given
when laws are passed that % into operation
atOnce. A certified copy Of each law that
is passed IS forwarded az once ID the pro-
thOnotary Of each county when the govern
or signs it, but those copies are kept in a
big book there. The book IS not i1dexed
and it would take day to go all ever the
book and liad what you want. If al the
lawyers in Pittsburgh were to do this it
would take 600 days for them to get ac-
quain Ell with the Law.
The only way We have to escape trou5is
is TO prove the law unconstitutional. be-
lieve this can be done because the title Of
the act does not clearly SET forth what il
contains