Pa. county to provide certified electronic records

Citizens of Lancaster County, Pa., will soon be able to download certified copies of public records via a Web site. The county's recorder of deeds signed an agreement with Authentidate Holding Corp. to provide the service, which applies to deeds, mortgages, easements, releases and land surveys.When citizens select and order their desired documents, Authentidate's technology authenticates and marks the document using a U.S. Postal Service electronic postmark. The electronic postmark, which includes a time and date stamp, verifies that the electronic document is authentic and has been verified.The system also stores a copy of the file in a third-party repository, which can be used to detect any tampering to the original file.“We aim to serve our public with the best possible access to important records," said Steve McDonald, the Lancaster County recorder of deeds.  The office will continue to process in-person requests, he added.