This is to inform you that the circuit clerk’s office will be moving to the Texas County Judicial Center as soon as it is finished. The approximate date will be September of this year. My circuit clerk’s office will be very busy getting ready for this move. We are starting as of now getting things such as court cases, records, etc., boxed and ready for this move.
I wanted you, the public, to know that my office always tries to give you good service. This move will more likely slow the service down. We will do our best to wait on you as soon as possible. We hope you will be patient – as this will become very time consuming the closer we get to the move. Also, just after the move as it will take time to get adjusted. Hopefully you will find that having a new justice center will help with better service and there will be better parking and more space if you have to wait for anything.
My recorder of deeds office will still be on the main floor on the right as you come in the old courthouse building. This is where it has always been located for the last 50 years or more, because this is where the vault was placed to keep the records safe from disaster. The last time the courthouse burned, the vault doors were closed, a line was formed and the books were handed out the windows. This is why we still have records back to 1849.
I discussed the importance of the safety of the recorded documents such as your land records, deeds, mortgages, releases, tax liens and mortgage releases, discharges from the military and marriages licenses, etc. There are at least 1,000 record books or more that cannot be replaced if they get destroyed. These records are in the original vault or are very close to a vault where they hopefully can be saved as they were the last time the old courthouse burned. Also, this is where everyone has always come to record their deeds, do land and title searches, get their marriage license, recorded their military discharges and receive of copies of them.
After discussing this matter with the county commission many times, as to the importance of the people’s records, we have come to an agreement that I will keep this office in the original location, which will be better for the public, for the safety of your records and for the taxpayers, as there will be very little that has to be changed. The records will be safer because of the good, original vault situation, and it is close to the front door.
Also the 1,000 record books will not have to be moved but a few feet, which is important as they could be damaged in any move. The recorder’s office will be expanded into the room where the circuit clerk’s office is now located. This will give the public, the banks and title companies doing record searches and recording documents more space, and I will add another public computer so the public will not have to wait. I will buy this computer with funds that I have collected through the years.
So, through the cooperation of the county commission and myself, money was saved and your records will be safer, and the recorder of deeds office will not be changed to another location that would cost the taxpayer money for the move and to remodel.
As you probably know, the circuit clerk is paid by the State of Missouri because it is a state office. The recorder of deeds office is a county office for which I do not get paid for being the recorder of deeds.
These offices were combined more than 50 years ago when there wasn’t much business in either office. Now both offices are very busy. I will now have an office in the judicial center and an office in the old courthouse. This will be quite a challenge for my deputy clerks and myself.
So we really would appreciate your patience. Thank you so much.