(A) As used in this section, "preparer" means any mortgage company, bank, title agency, or other person responsible for filing documents with the office of a county recorder for recording under section 317.08 of the Revised Code.

(B) Except as provided in division (C) or (D) of this section, the preparer of any document to be recorded by a county recorder under section 317.08 of the Revised Code shall not include any individual's personal information in any document that is filed for recording in the office of the county recorder under that section. The county recorder shall not accept such a document for recording if it includes any individual's personal information. If a document presented for recording includes any individual's personal information and the county recorder refuses to accept that document for recording, the county recorder or the person who attempted to file the document with the county recorder may immediately redact the individual's personal information from the document.

The preparer is not liable in damages in a civil action for any harm an individual allegedly sustains as a result of the inclusion of the individual's personal information on a document in violation of this division if the preparer establishes as an affirmative defense that the preparer made a good faith effort to comply with this division. The county recorder and the county recorder's employees are immune from liability in damages in a civil action brought against the county recorder or an employee of the county recorder to recover damages for any harm an individual allegedly sustains as a result of the county recorder or an employee of the county recorder accepting a document that includes the individual's personal information in violation of this division, unless the county recorder or an employee of the county recorder accepted that document with malicious purpose, in bad faith, or in a wanton or reckless manner, or division (A)(6)(a) or (c) of section 2744.03 of the Revised Code applies.

(C) An individual who executes a document that must be filed by a preparer for recording in the office of the county recorder under section 317.08 of the Revised Code may execute an affidavit consenting to the inclusion of the individual's personal information in the document. If an individual executes an affidavit consenting to the inclusion of the individual's personal information in the document under this division, division (B) of this section does not apply to the preparer of the document or to the county recorder and the county recorder's employees.

(D) Division (B) of this section does not apply to any of the following:

(1) Any document that originates with any court or taxing authority;

(2) Any document that upon its filing for recording in the office of the county recorder under section 317.08 of the Revised Code constitutes a nonconsensual lien against an individual;

(3) Any publicly recorded document that is required by federal or state law to include an individual's social security number or personal information.

(E)

(1) This section does not apply to documents that were executed by an individual prior to September 28, 2006.

(2) This section, as amended by this amendment, does not apply to documents that were executed by an individual on or after September 28, 2006, and prior to the effective date of this amendment.

(F) As used in this section, "personal information" has the same meaning as in section 149.45 of the Revised Code.

Effective Date: 09-28-2006; 2008 HB46 09-01-2008 .