County sued for possibly overcharging for records

California Public Records Research Inc. filed suit against Monterey County Clerk's Office after the office charged $2 per page for records rather than actual copying costs, estimated at 10 cents per page, The Monterey County Herald reported. "County Counsel Charles McKee and Clerk-Recorder Steve Vagnini, who is named in the suit, said when it comes to copying public documents, records in the clerk's and assessor's offices fall under different statutes than the Public Records Act." Similar suits have been filed in all 58 California counties.

If you've been paying $2 per page for records at the Monterey County Clerk's Office, you're due a refund, according to Southern California attorneys who are suing the county for allegedly violating the state Public Records Act.

Attorneys for California Public Records Research Inc. say state law allows local agencies to charge only the actual costs of copying public records, including real estate records maintained by county clerks.

In their class action lawsuit, filed Thursday in Monterey County Superior Court, Clifton Hodges and Donald Ricketts maintain those costs amount to no more than 10 cents per page.

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