Real Property Title Analyst (Abstract Technician)

Summary

With a growing portfolio of commercial and residential property parcels, King County’s Department of Assessments is looking for interested applicants to apply for the Abstract Technician position. This position plays a vital role in advancing our mission to ensure fair and equitable property tax administration by performing complex legal description analysis and review, as well as providing outstanding customer service to our taxpayers.

King County’s Department of Assessments is looking for a dynamic and collaborative property legal description and chain of legal custody analyst to support the daily administration of the County’s legal property description maintenance. We are looking for action-oriented, creative thinkers who can multitask and bring their property parcel and chain of title administrative skills and desire for excellence to this role. This position will focus on customer service and support to help the department achieve its commitment to be "The Best Assessments Department in North America".

The Department of Assessments is seeking an employee who possesses strong functional and technical skills when working with legal descriptions, cadastral maps, chain of title, or property issues, and who understands the value of maintaining the configuration and integrity of King County’s real property tax assessment parcel data and providing support to the King County Assessor, Accounting Division Director, and/or designee in resolving property, taxpayer, chain of title, issues.

Are you...

• Familiar with and able to understand Business and basic legal/property boundary descriptions?
• Capable of drafting basic legal/property boundary descriptions?
• Able to write concise legal descriptions; proportion or prorate assessed value and revise maps to reconfigure parcels as related to basic segregations and mergers or lot line adjustments, based on recorded conveyances, court documents, and taxpayer requests.
• Organized and attentive to detail? Can you work to resolve a variety of basic tax parcel/property identification problems? Can you apply tax status changes to parcels based on legal conveyances between public and private entities, and other property transactions?
• An entry level research-oriented processional with the ability to identify the chain of custody and ownership of properties using varied sources of information? Can you back up your decision and title searches with verifiable data? Can you interpret, research and resolve basic parcel discrepancies based on deeds, customer requests or court orders?
• An entry level customer service star? Do you have strong property and title search and property/real estate customer service skills to assist property owners and other representatives regarding problems/resolutions relating to title, taxes and other situations? Can you correspond with property owners and other representatives regarding problems/resolutions relating to title, taxes, and other situations?

Job Duties

The successful candidate will:

• Maintain the configuration of King County's real property tax assessment parcel structure.
• Write concise legal descriptions proportion or prorate assessed value and revise maps to reconfigure parcels as related to basic segregations and mergers or lot line adjustments, based on recorded conveyances, court documents and taxpayer requests.
• Research and resolve basic parcel discrepancies based on deeds, customer requests, or court orders.
• Work to resolve a variety of basic tax parcel problems.
• Alter tax status of parcels based on conveyances between public and private entities, split accounts, prorate assessed values, and initiate refund procedure.
• Interpret basic legal descriptions and technical documents for internal and external customers.
• Correspond with property owners and other representatives regarding problems/resolutions relating to title, taxes, and other situations.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

WE ARE LOOKING FOR CANDIDATES WITH:

• Strong background in real estate terminology, principles & practice.
• A background in title and property transactions.
• The ability to perform property title research, chain of custody, & conveyance.
• Solid analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team in a collaborative, team-centered environment.
• Strong Customer focus with a dedication to integrity, ethics, trust, and values.
• The ability to read and interpret property legal descriptions, surveys, real estate documents, property title and sales documents, paying close attention to detail and a need for accuracy.
• Proficiency and ease in using business productivity tools and advanced technology in your everyday work; (We use Microsoft Office Suite and other internal applications & assessment related tools)
• Exceptional listening skills and the ability to keep up with evolving business needs through flexibility and rapid integration of new concepts.
• Demonstrated skill in reading & interpreting cadastral maps.
• Ability to work in a team collaborative environment to support the current Property Tax Administration System (PTAS)

A basic understanding of applicable federal, state, and local codes, regulations, policies, and procedures as they relate to physical & legal property changes. In addition, any combination of education and/or experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to successfully perform the duties of the position and demonstrates the following:

• A minimum of two (2) years of administrative and clerical experience dealing with a diverse customer base,
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience working with and knowledge of real estate processes, legal descriptions, applying laws and regulations, understanding property documents, such as deeds, titles, and recorded property actions, or other similar transactions.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience using computer applications, such as Microsoft Office Suite, and other applications that include data entry skills.
• A minimum of two (2) years of experience with and knowledge of performing moderately complex mathematical calculations to support property square footage and split value calculations.

BONUS IF CANDIDATES HAVE THESE DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in land surveying, mapping software, and technology.
• Knowledge of property title search practices.
• Familiarity with Washington State property tax rules.

Supplemental Information

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. A resume, cover letter, and answers to the supplemental questions are required. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

The applicants who meet the required minimum qualifications and indicate through an analysis of their submitted application materials that they possess the most competitive background in direct and recent job-related experience, knowledge, skill, abilities, and training may be called for further selection processing. Additional selection process analysis may include, but is not limited to, written and performance exams, written work submittals, web-based/online examinations, oral panel, and/or manager interviews.

WORKING CONDITIONS: The primary work location for this position is the King Street Center, 201 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104

UNION MEMBERSHIP: Positions in this classification are represented by the OPEIU.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact Alicia Rivet at alicia.warren@kingcounty.gov.