The Clerk's Letter
Clerks Helping Cops, Dealertrack, and Jungle Jack: A Fast Start to 2018
Our office has a lot of bragging rights to share in this first issue. All that bragging is due to the great work my expert deputies in the Auto Title and Legal Divisions provide to this community.
Select staff representing the Auto Title Division accepted an award during a February ceremony at the Ohio State Highway Patrol headquarters. These representatives were joined by members from OSHP and several law enforcement agencies and received certificates honoring their collective participation in curtailing a criminal operation that involved stolen vehicles and illegal narcotics.
Additionally, our General Division realized a 10 percent increase in passport applications presented to our “One Stop Passport Shop” in 2017. Customers have received expert review of their applications and my clerks have offered expedient and cheerful service. You won’t want to travel anywhere outside the U.S. without first visiting my One Stop Passport Shop. We can also process your official photo for only $10 during your one-stop visit.
Next, free eTitle training sessions for Franklin County auto dealers were conducted at three of our four Auto Title offices. Local dealership representatives attended those sessions, presented by Dealertrack, the State of Ohio’s selected electronic titling vendor. Attendees became familiar with the no-charge electronic titling process as well as other services this vendor offers. Not only was the training helpful to those who attended, but the new process will benefit those customers who plan to have their vehicular titles transacted in Franklin County.
We’ve also connected with several local community partners. The Supreme Court of Ohio published an article reminding Ohio attorneys to access our library of up-to-date-forms when filing cases to the Court of Common Pleas or the 10th District Court of Appeals; our passport services were featured in an article published on ColumbusUnderground.com; and the Columbus Zoo & Aquarium’s own “Jungle” Jack Hanna volunteered his voice for our One-Stop Passport Shop public service announcement campaign.
Read on in this newsletter for more details about these and other great examples of the exemplary work of my Deputy Clerks and this office. We're off to a great start in 2018, and look forward to continuing to serve Franklin County with timely, accurate and courteous service!
Auto Title
Auto Title Honored by Ohio State Highway Patrol
The Ohio State Highway Patrol handed out certificates to representatives from the Auto Title Division in front of an audience of more than 200 attendees at a February 2018 ceremony. The division was recognized for its role in exposing a sophisticated criminal operation involving stolen vehicles and illegal narcotics.
Joining the three Title Clerks at the awards ceremony were representatives from the State of Ohio Public Service and local law enforcement agencies. Colonel Paul Pride, Superintendent of OSHP, complimented all honorees for their exceptional work and attention to their duties as public servants in assisting the OSHP, curtailing further criminal activity, and helping keep Ohio safe. The items confiscated included more than 45 kilos of heroin, fentanyl and other illicit drugs, as well as the recovery of eight vehicles values at $350,000. Additionally, 13 suspects were arrested and are awaiting trial.
"I'm not surprised that my Auto Title Division stepped in and actively participated in this investigation," said Clerk O'Shaughnessy. "This work is consistent with the division’s track record of unparalleled accuracy and attention to detail, factors that are indicative of the way my Deputy Clerks handle auto title business every day.”
The Future is Now: Electronic Auto Title Training for Dealers
More than 40 participants from local dealerships were trained in Electronic Titling led by experts from Dealertrack, the State of Ohio’s select vendor powering the Ohio Electronic Title Link solutions.
Eight sessions were held at three Auto Title locations beginning in February and continuing into March. Those who attended these special sessions became familiar with and the ease of “next generation of auto titling.” The benefits of electronic titling are not limited to the work done by dealerships through Franklin County Auto Title Division. Customers will also benefit from the streamlined customer service and reduced processing times in obtaining their Auto Title from dealerships that conduct business with Franklin County.
Auto Title Division Director, Kenny Skeaton noted that, “our county processes the largest volume of auto titles in the State of Ohio. With electronic titling as a modernized process to our business, we can add expedited to our core values of accurate, courteous and timely service.” The more business generated in and by Franklin County Auto Title the stronger this county’s budget becomes, and in turn the more resources available for county agencies to provide essential services to Franklin County recipients. In 2017, more than 551,000 auto title transactions exceeding $141 million were managed in the four Franklin County Auto Title offices. Because the electronic titling was not fully in place until 2018, processing of those transactions occurred at these locations with all documents transacted in paper format. The division reported an accuracy rate of 98.9% of transactions and a turnaround time for dealer packets at under four hours.
Legal Divisions
Jungle Jack Lends His Voice to the One-Stop Passport Shop
Our office recently launched a multichannel public service announcement campaign promoting its passport services with the help of a roster of locally known celebrities, including international wildlife personality and Director Emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, “Jungle” Jack Hanna.
“I can’t travel outside the United States without my U.S. passport,” Hanna says in a pre-recorded radio spot created for the campaign. “So before I set sail, I can have my passport application accepted and my photo taken at the Clerk’s One-Stop Passport Shop.” Other voices featured in the PSA series include local media personalities Mikaela Hunt and Anietra Hamper, as well as longtime Columbus public radio host John DeSando.
The One-Stop Passport Shop, located on the first floor of the new Franklin County Courthouse in downtown Columbus, is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and offers a no-appointment walk-in environment, expert application review and onsite photo service. Visit clerk.franklincountyohio.gov/passports for more information.
Around the World in 72 Hours: Passport Fun at the AAA Travel Expo
Thanks to our friends at AAA Travel, we were lucky enough to bring information about our One-Stop Passport Shop to more than 11,200 attendees over the course of three days at the Great Vacations Midwest Travel Expo, held at the Columbus Convention Center. Check out our souvenir photos below!
A very special thanks to Deputy Clerks Kimberly Conroy, Minday Kay, Liz Rohm and Isabella Woody for helping to staff our booth at the expo. We had an amazing time sharing our services with "the world," and we hope to be back for next year's show! (If you are interested in having our passport booth at your event, please contact us at [email protected].)
New Payment Location: OFS on the Move
In a move to best serve the general public, attorneys, and others who interact with the Clerk’s Office of Fiscal Services, staff recently relocated to offices at 345 S. High Street, on the first floor adjacent the Clerk’s General Division.
Employees responsible for managing all bookkeeping of court costs and fees are now located in the county’s Courthouse, on the corner of Mound and High Streets. For questions related to OFS services, customers can call 614.525.3600 and ask to speak with a Deputy Clerk in the Office of Fiscal Services or visit their new location.
Shout-Out: Columbus Underground Promotes Clerk's Passport Service
The word is out about our One-Stop Passport Shop—just ask ColumbusUnderground.com, who recently published a feature highlighting the Clerk's passport services.
"Instead of cramped corners and endless lines, you’ll find wide open spaces and certified passport specialists ready to help you with the process and perform a final, thorough review of your application," the article notes. "The best part? No appointment of any kind is required; just show up with the necessary documents and you’re ready to apply."
Columbus Underground, a "community-driven website that offers news, reviews, events, opinions and insight regarding all topics related to life in Columbus," attracts nearly 400,000 readers to its site each month. (That's a lot of passports!)
Shout-Out Part 2: Court News Ohio Recommends Clerk's Website for Updated Forms
"Submitting the correct forms to courts is a critical step in the legal process," writes author Kathleen Maloney in an article recently published by Court News Ohio, a service of the Office of Public Information of the Supreme Court of Ohio. "The centralized hub for finding the correct forms is the Franklin County Clerk of Courts’ website."
Attorneys may have saved forms on their computers from many years ago and haven’t checked to ensure they’re using the most recent versions, according to Maloney, who notes that the Clerk’s office often receives filings with incorrect court addresses, the wrong clerk’s name and old information.
The Clerk's very own Communications Director Xenia Palus was quoted in the article, which provides detailed instructions for accessing forms on the Clerk's website as well as the Franklin County Law Library. “We hope this guidance assists attorneys so they are successful on their first attempt when e-filing," Palus said.