J
ason Choponis trudged through the snow to his family's former home on South Lake Mitchell Drive, a vacant house that now stood as a symbol of their frustration. The "For Sale by Owner" sign outside was a stark reminder of the real estate market's woes in Wexford County. Since November 5th, the county had been grappling with the aftermath of a ransomware attack that crippled its network, leaving the Register of Deeds Office offline.

    The Choponises' closing date had been delayed multiple times, and they were now paying for two homes while waiting for the issue to be resolved. Belinda expressed her concerns about the financial strain, saying "Every month we pay, we lose equity." She urged the county to provide a clear timeline for when the Register of Deeds Office would be fully operational.

    Another homeowner, Toni Rose, shared similar frustrations at the January 15th board meeting. Her selling agreement had been extended multiple times, and she faced added expenses due to winter property taxes. However, her situation took a positive turn when her title company found a solution, allowing her to close on her home and purchase a new one in Missaukee County.

    Wexford County Administrator Joe Porterfield acknowledged the ongoing efforts to restore operations in the Register of Deeds Office but provided no new information about a timeline for completion. He mentioned that most data remained intact, but the disruption was expected to persist at least in the short term.