Dear Mr/Ms Ojha:

The real issues here are quality and security.  First of all, an abstract report is only as good as the information used to compile it.  That is why my company never relies on online information to produce our searches.  Back in 2006, Ed Rybczynski wrote a very informative white paper, "Words of Advice for Anyone Who Cares to Listen," in which he highlights the unreliability of the information on the State of Maryland's public record website, MdLandRec.  Computerized records are only as accurate as the information entered.  As the saying goes, "garbage in, garbage out."  A single typographical or indexing error can mean misplacing a crucial document.  I see it all the time in the course of my work.  Local abstractors, intimately familiar with custom and practice in the jurisdictions they serve, have the unique knowledge and skills required to ferret out these sometimes elusive items.

Secondly, how does an "abstractor" (and I use that term VERY loosely) over in "Crapistan" know which instrument relates to a given parcel or individual and which one doesn't?  Even though it is possible to create and store a digitized image in a database of every single instrument ever recorded in a given jurisdiction, indexing and cross-referencing every single one of those instruments would be a monumental task at best.  There's no way that someone sitting at a computer screen thousands of miles away (who has never set foot in a US courthouse) can possibly understand how these documents relate to one another.

It amazes me when I talk to other abstractors out here in the field, who seem willfully ignorant of the dangers of placing records online, at the expense of not only their own livelihoods and the integrity of the records, but of the security of the citizens served by the counties.  I actually had one abstractor tell me the she would rather have the convenience of being able to do a search from her home computer than have to travel to the courthouse!  Criminals are always looking for easier ways to access personal information and public record websites are a prime target.  With identity theft and real estate fraud at an all-time high, local citizens in their respective communities have the right to expect that their elected officials are taking reasonable steps to ensure the safety, security and integrity of the records relating to their most precious assets--their homes.

Forgive me for my skepticism, I don't believe that it is a good thing for US taxpayers to simply hand the keys to their courthouses over to individuals and entities who may or may not have their best interests at heart.

Regards,
Scott L. Perry, President
Jireh Business Information Solutions, Inc.
North Huntingdon, PA, USA