New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-26
Standard Printed Forms
To Be Adopted in the
Registers Office.
HAS APPROVAL OF
TITLE COMPANIES
Method To Be Used Also Fa.
vored by Lawyers and the
Bar Association.
By JOHN J. HOPPER.
Register, New York County.

A very Important change In the
method Of recording real property in
struments Is about to be inaugurated
In the Registers office Of New York
County.
In the routine Of conveyancing many
forms are used over and over again
Many of these forms, while alike IN
meaning, vary slightly in language.
1t is the Registers business to copy
instruments verbatim. In this work
the formal parts of the papers, which
the stationers print in their forms, are
copied over and over again-thousands
Of times-by the recording staff Of the
Registers Office. 1t is evident that II
pages Of the record could be printed In
advance TO correspond to the printed
parts Of the instruments, large saw
ing would be made in the cost of copy.
Ing. At present the typewritlng cost
of copying records exceeds S25,OO0 per
wear. Because Of the verbal variations
ir forms prepared by the different title
companies and law stationers the
problem was very difficult.
Before decision was made as 10
what changes were advisable, thor
ough study of the entire subject Of the
best means Of duplicating and pre-
serving public records was made at the
Registers request by the Bureau OF
Municipal Research in connection with
the Registers Office: Various, htho-
print and Photographic methods were
investigated and the conclusion was
reached that the peculiar conditions In
the Registers Office would be best
served by the use Of standard printed
forms.
At the invitation Of Register Hopper
a conference was held at the Registers
Office which was attended by repre-
sentatives Of the Bar Association. the
title companies and the leading law
firms of the city.
The solicitors OF the Title Guarantee
and Trust Company, the Lawyers TITS
and Trust Company and the New YORK
Title Insurance Company were made q
committee to pass upon the forms OF
deeds, mortgages and other instruments
in common use and harmonic verbal
differences.
This meeting was attended By the
following; Walter Lindner, solicitor OF
the Title Guarantee and Trust Com
pany; Cyril II. Burdett, vice-presidens
and general manager OF the New YORK
Title Insurance Company; Henry X.
Chittick, assistant solicitor Of the Law
yers' Title and Trust Company; com.
mittee of the Association Of the Bar OF
the CITY Of New York, George F. But
terworth, Of Cadwslader, Wickersham
& Taft; Frederic ]. Middlebrook, OF
Bowers e. Sands; committee OF the New
York County Lawyers Association, Jo-
seph II. Fargis, J. Joseph Lilly, and Ma
thaniel D. Reich, OF Straus, keich q
Boyer
Arthur D. Mack, editor Of 1.-THE Rec
ord and Guide; John D. Connolly. OF
Lese G. Connolly; Elmer Dean Coulter,
Of the John Jacob Aston estates John u.
Hutchinson, Of the Bureau Of Municipal
Research. and Franklin A. Coles, former
District Attorney Of Nassau County.
As result Of the work OF this COM
mittee seventeen forms have been
standardized. The adoption Of these
standard forms is not compulsory, but
their use in the Registers office may
be assured by voluntary cooperative
action of the title companies, convey
ancing attorneys and law stat oners.,
The use Of standard forms is pub
lie benefit. in that it permits the Reg.
ister to provide record libers printed
according to the same forms. 1t makes
records more permanent. There VIII
be no fading Of records. thus saving
future appropriations to recopy and
restore them. 1t increases accuracy in
copying records. d,
II makes easier the examination Of
titles. The printing Of the form has
the effect of segregating the names OF
parties, the consideration, the descrip-
ton and the signatures from the for