52-1316. Information provided by filing; oral and written inquiries; duties; fees; liability.

(1) Oral and written inquiries regarding information provided by the filing of effective financing statements may be made at any county clerk's office or the office of the Secretary of State during regular business hours. The fee for furnishing file information shall be four dollars and fifty cents for each debtor name searched by the county clerk or Secretary of State. Written confirmation of an oral or written inquiry shall be mailed no later than the end of the next business day after the inquiry is received.

(2) The Secretary of State shall provide a system that assigns an identifying number to each inquiry made pursuant to subsection (1) of this section. Such number shall be given to the inquiring party at the time of the oral response and shall be included in the written confirmation. The Secretary of State and the county clerks shall maintain a record of inquiries made under this section identifying who made the inquiry, on whom the inquiry was made, and the date of the inquiry.

(3) The Secretary of State may provide for a computerized system for inquiry and confirmation which may be used in lieu of the inquiry and confirmation under subsection (1) of this section. When such a system is implemented and used, it shall have the same effect as an inquiry and confirmation under subsection (1) of this section.

(4) There shall be no fee charged for actual inspection of records of effective financing statements kept by the county clerk or the Secretary of State for the inspection of ten names or less per day by a single person. There shall be a uniform fee, in addition to any other charge for services payable to the county clerk or the Secretary of State, of one dollar per name for each inspection in excess of ten names per day by a single person.

(5) The county clerk and Secretary of State and their employees or agents shall be exempt from all personal liability as a result of any error or omission in providing information as required by this section except in cases of willful misconduct or gross negligence.

(6) Fees received pursuant to this section by county clerks shall be deposited in the county general fund. Of the fees received pursuant to this section by the Secretary of State for furnishing file information by electronic or other means, three dollars and fifty cents of each fee shall be deposited in the Uniform Commercial Code Cash Fund and one dollar of each fee shall be deposited in the Records Management Cash Fund.

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