Attorney General
c: J. Bushnell Nielsen
Attorney for Wisconsin Land Title Association
Larry D. Eckert, President
Wisconsin Register of Deeds’ Association
Todd J. Liebman, Past President
Wisconsin Corporation Counsel Association
John C. Jacques
Interim Corporation Counsel
Brown County
Laverne Michalek
Corporation Counsel
Trempealeau County
Marlotte Dascher
Trempealeau County Abstract Company
Yianni Pantis
Attorney for First American Real Estate Solutions
Register of Deeds
Dane County
Cathy Williquette
Register of Deeds
Brown County
Marilyn Mueller
Register of Deeds
Kewaunee County
[=OAG 1-03, 10]Summary: Registers of deeds entering into contracts pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2)(c) may insist on provisions protecting the identity and integrity of records obtained pursuant to such contracts and protecting the public. Authority to require provisions directly prohibiting the contracting party from selling or disseminating copies of such records is not prohibited and may reasonably be implied from the general contracting authority of sec. 59.43(2)(c). The fee requirements of Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2)(b), not those of the public records statute, Wis. Stat. § 19.35(3), apply to electronic copies of records obtained pursuant to Wis. Stat. § 59.43(4), unless the requester has entered into a contract authorized by Wis. Stat. § 59.43(2)(c).