The Saint Paul globe., 1899-02-06
Operation of the Torrens Law.

The following from the Chicago Rec
ord reflects a picture of the operation
OF the Torrens law (so-called) in Cook
county. Illinois. The simplicity of the
system is here given without ornament
or argument. The statement is COM
mended to the readers of The G o b g
who are interested in the subject The
one feature of interest is that asso-
ciated with the indemnity fund.
through the operations of which titles
are quieted and all claims are harmo-
nized in a common sense and common
honesty way.
If the reform is to be applied to Min
nesota transfers. the little object les
son afforded below may be accepted as
an index to the true principle under
lying the entire plan:
The law for the registration and transfer
OF land titles according to what is known as
the Iorrens system is now in actual opera
ton in Cook county. The law has been
approved by the highest court of the state
The county board has made an appropriation
for the necessary expenses of inauguraling
the system. The first applications for regis
tration of titles under the act were mada
last Wednesday, when two were filed one
being by the Chicago Edison company.
The procedure of bringing land under the
officials
i'll the recorders office say the services of an
attorney are not necessary. The first step is to
make application to the clerk of either the
circuit or the superior court of Cook county
to have the title to land registered Blank
applications may be secured either from the
clerks of the courts or at the Office of the
recorder of deeds, who, under the law is
registrar OF tit.eS The application is referred
by the court to one of the examiners of the
registrars Office, who makes a careful exami-
nation of the title and reports upon it The
court then passes on the title. and If it is
approved the registrar registers the title as
provided by law. The owner is given
certificate of title, which, after the expira-
tion of two years, is incontestable.
The fees required for bringing under the
act land to which the owner has a clear
title, unincumbered by conditions or iimita.
tions, are as follows:
Payment to clerk of court on filing appli-
Registrars fee for examination of title. Is
Granting nj tslne eertfcate Of title
Total fees Except charge for in
demnity fund.- for bringing land un-
For land G subiect to morisae::s or ota "a
limitation. or where the titles are derived
from more than one source the fees are
somewhat more There is another charge
which will vary in amount according IN tha
value of the land. When the title is first
registered a payment of one-teGth of 1 rer
cent cent OF the value of the land is required for
ti the creation Of an indemnity fund. Under
the law the title to land is made incontestab,e
after two years. In order to prevent possible
INJURY TO persons, such, for example, as
minor heirs, who may have claims to land
which are not presented within two years,
this indemnity fund is created from which
such persons may recover for their injuries
On land valued at $4,000 the charge for thu
indemnity fund would amount to only So
When land is brought under the
operation of the act transfers thereafter NAV
be made on payment of the simple fee of So
for registering the transfer and Issuing and
registering the new certificate of title.
1t Is safe to say that many Cook county
selves of the advantages Of this new system
for making land transfers easy and cheap.