The San Francisco call., 1896-06-15
Operations Of the Torrens Land
System in Ohio Ex-
plained.
IS A SUCCESS IN ILLINOIS.
A Much Bitter Showing Being Made
This Month in Building
Operations.

The Torrens Land Transfer System which
has been III use in Illinois since the first of the
present year, is giving excellent satisfaction
there, according to the reports published in the
newspapers of Chicago and other cities of the
State. The Supreme Court of Illinois declared
the law constitutional and as it is the first State
in the Union to adopt the system its operation
and benefits will be watched with keen inter-
est by all real-estate dealers and owners
throughout the country. There are many adj
vantages claimed for the system, all OF which
seem to be well sustained by its operations in
Illinois.
Ohio has also adopted the system and it will
go into effect in that State the LIST of Septem-
ber next. At recent meeting of business men
held in Cincinnati ]. I. Harrison, prominent
attorney of that city, read paper which sue
emily and in simple Language explained the
Torrens system. The Cincinnati Commercial
Gazette of May "a gives the following report oi
Mr.. Harrison's address on the subject:
He explained in detailed way the working OF
the "Torrens Land System" which is named afteI
Sir Robert Torrens, an Englishman This system
was introduced into Australia in 1858 and had
been used in the New Zealand oones since 1870
and in England since 1875 and Canada since 1883
and in Illinois since the first of the present year
1t will become effective in Ohio September l. 1t
had been used in Prussia, Bavaria and other Eu-
rOpean countries for century, and IN J am burg
for 600 years. AT the World IS Fair the change was
first agitated in America There was present
there real estate congress. The system provides
that title be examined by an expert down 10 q
given time, and when the title is thus rtifed 1t
must hold good. This fixes basis aud avoids long
examinations.
A title thus once registered and certified is is
sued to the owner. and upon this certificate all no
ations of liens other interests which affect the
| land stated. No interest in the land can be
made lien upon it until so stated on the register
| and certificate If an owner W nts to NOR gage
| his land he does so in duplicates; gives them to
| the lender VINO presents both to the Recorder,
who files the duplicate and turns the original to
the lender with the proper noations ,hereon. II
| turned and cancelled and a new certificate issued
! to the purchaser
| The old system is a back number. This is
shown plainly. In Chicago, from october, 1871,
to December, 1895, there Transcribed and re-
corded in 500 volumes g S26 81 legal documents;
up to March 15, 1894 there had been filed in the
| Recorders Office 1900, ,634 volumes. The annual
cost in Chicago is about $10,00U,0 600. All Of this
| was caused by the great fire. Cincinnati has 500
large volumes of deed records, 700 OF mortgages
| and 100 lease records, not TO say anything aDout
| many of the reports and books. The present sys-
| tenn Is too tedious. Under the new one borrower
| can negotiate loan in a few minutes. The pres
ent system is chain which Is only strong as its
weakest link, and often this is very weak. Title
examinations in Chicago for 1890 cost SO 600, 900.
Mr.. Harrison cited numerous objections TO the Old
| law and pointed out the advantages OF the new
one.
When the law becomes effective in Ohio it will
be optional with all the owners OF land and repre-
sentatives of estates to make application for the
| registration of titles. The application must be
| made to the Probate or Common Pleas Court. The
law gives theScourt ample time for investigation,
and upon satisfactory evidence proper certificate
/ is issued The Recorder must register the title,
when certified to by the court and issue the proper
certificates Corporations must give names of Off
| GERS. Executors and administrators have rules
| laid down Tor them. All transfers ade in the
| office of the Recorder. at death land passes 10
the personal representative OF the estate, who
have the lana registered and certificates obtained
for the heirs Land bought under this act IS to pay
| lilo of per cent of the value This provides
| for assurance fund. Provision is made for re
| Endorsements The fees under the system
| are very reasonable.
| In closing Mr. Harrison said The fees required
TO the referee not less than So, no more thar
$50, and such other fees on filing the application
| and 10 the Recorder from cents 10 81 for each
paper filed or Item OF service rendered. The fee
| for examining and registering each transfer OF
registered land Including the filing OF all papers
| therein entering memorials, issuing new certih
Gates of title, and indexing same, 81 50. The fee
of the referee is also to be estm at onehalf OF
! per cent upon the value of the land appraised
for taxation up to $4,000. ] estimate that upon
piece OF real estate worth $4,000, and which
would be valued for taxation at about $780, the
total cost for registration would be in The negh
| borhood OF $50, including ATTORNEYS fees.
| This Is about the cost of examinR alton and
abstract Of TILE. Penalties provided Tor fraud
uent registration, alterations of register to)k in
| the Recorders office, M king the same a felony
Imprisonment In the penitentiary from one to five
| years, also fine not exceeding $4,000 Forgery
| in the matter is made punishable by Imprisonment
| in the penitentiary from one to ten years and q
! fine not exceeding $4,000. a II books, papers and
| documents nleu IN the RecOruefS once are de
clared the subjects of larceny, and that the Of
fender, when convicted, shall be imprisoned in the
penitentiary from one to seven years Perjury il
made felony, punishable by Imprisonment in the
penitentiary fro one to six years.
REVIEW OF THE RECORDS.
| There was a notable increase last week in
the amounts called for in the building con
tracts filed. The number filed was 10, aggre
eating $3.50, 1862. This included q portion oi
the contracts, three in number, aggregating
| $52, ,8S1, for the new building of the San Fran
cisco Gaslight Company, on Post street, neal
Powell. The contracts filed thus far during the
| mouth aggregate nearly q quarter of million
OF dollars, and it is probable that at the pres
| ent rate the total for the month will be large
enough to make up for the falling off in May
There were 101 transfers recorded last week
Eighty-one mortgages, sggregatin S249 ,533,
were placed on record last week. Tne larger
ones and the security given were:
By the German Savings and Loan Society,
for one year at 81 per cent, $25, 900, on prop
erty on the east lihe OF Stockton street, so feet
south of Sutter, south 40 by east 80, and prop
ertY on the southwest corner OF Green and
Webster streets, south 1877 6 by west 101 1:115;
.TTsh \ Oofa