On November 8, 2023, Alexander County Register of Deeds Scott H. Hines and Assistant Josh Bowman announced the first electronic recording of a surveyor’s plat in Alexander County. April Rosenbaum of Bunton Surveying and Mapping PA submitted the first two electronically filed plats in Alexander County by working through multiple organizations and processes to successfully upload the first two plats to Alexander County’s electronic records system.

Recording electronically means that plat files can be sent to the Register of Deeds office by electronic means from a surveyor’s office. Rosenbaum sent the plat files from the Bunton Surveying office in Hickory instead of having to appear in person at the Register’s office with a paper copy produced by the surveyor’s office. Afterward, she visited Register Hines’ office in person to double check on the success of the procedure since this was the first time processing plats electronically in Alexander County.

According to the North Carolina Secretary of State’s Land Records Manager Rich Elkins, Alexander is the 40th county in North Carolina to successfully eRecord plats. The New Hanover County Register of Deeds in Wilmington eRecorded their first Plat just a few hours before Alexander as the 39th county to do so. Guilford and Forsyth counties are expected to be the next counties to enable eRecording plats, according to Elkins.

In August, Register of Deeds Hines hosted a workshop in the Alexander County Services Center with 18 people attending, both in person and virtual, including surveyors, recording system partners, Register of Deeds staff, NC Secretary of State staff, tax office, and review officers. Elkins led the 3-hour workshop and explained in detail the process and procedures for customers to submit plats electronically. Rosenbaum represented Bunton Surveying at the workshop.