(SMITHFIELD) -- Officials who handle real estate and business transactions are upset over a bill passed recently by the General Assembly. House Bill 384 will hike fees on homebuyers, homesellers, and entrepreneurs in the state.

Johnston County Register of Deeds Craig Olive said the measure is outrageous. "Here in Johnston County unemployment is 8.8 percent," said Olive.  "Statewide it is 9.7. Our housing sales are down 25 percent.  Why do we want to put more fees on homeowners that are trying to buy a home or a piece of land?  Why are we doing it?"

Olive said the bill should have been postponed a year or two to give the state’s struggling economy time to recover first.