Throughout the spring as the office remained closed, reports Chicago Agent, condominium declarations could not be processed, delaying closings when lenders refused to approve mortgages without those documents being signed and recorded. The office resumed business on July 6, after Chief Deputy Recorder James Gleffe notified Chicago Agent that their downtown office had implemented measures to keep workers safe, allowing for a limited number of office workers to process non-standard documents in person. The office remains closed to the non-employee public, however,

Recorder Edward M. Moody wrote in a letter submitted to the readers of Chicago Agent Magazine, “I want to recognize the tremendous work being done by my dedicated and highly professional staff to ensure that critical services provided by our office continue to be provided throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I would also like to thank the residents of Cook County for their patience while we implement new processes designed to keep the real estate industry moving forward during these difficult times.”

Click here to read the office's customer communication regarding the resumption of business: Customer Communication Regarding Re-Opening – (7.1.2020). The office also released new guidelines for recording condo declarations, which can be accessed at s29980.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Guidelines-Condo-Decs-and-Plats.pdf. Because the e-recording platform still can’t be used in these cases, the office reminds submitters that their submissions need to include the full and accurate fees required for these non-standard documents.