Westchester County Clerk

November 27, 2012

Technology Reduces Payroll, Overhead and Creates Efficiencies

WHITE PLAINS, NY - The award-winning Westchester County Clerk’s Office has achieved a financial milestone by cutting its proposed operating budget for the sixth straight year.  The 2013 budget request calls for a total spending package of $7,569,001, down from $7,754,394 in 2012 and down eighteen per cent (18%), or $1,674,659, since 2006, County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni’s first year in office.  Payroll savings alone now total over $3.5 million cumulatively since 2009.

Clerk Idoni stated upon the release of his budget, “This is a professional and humane way of reducing government spending.  We have realized our initial goal of an office in which manual labor and repetitive tasks have been eliminated and operational efficiency has been increased. I’m proud that we have been able to save taxpayer dollars while vastly improving service to our customers, the residents and businesses of Westchester and the region.”

The Clerk’s Office projects 2013 revenue at $11,272,479, while expenses are estimated at $7,569,001, a difference of $3,703,478, which is returned to the County’s General Fund to reduce property tax obligations.  Idoni gives credit to his staff which has produced cost-saving programs by partnering with the County Department of Information Technology and the State Office of Court Administration.  Programs such as electronic filing of court records and electronic delivery of deeds and mortgages vastly reduce paperwork and processing time, saving personnel, storage, and postage costs. Documents in the land records division which years ago took months to process are now processed in days or hours. Payments are also handled electronically, reducing clerical errors and enhancing cash flow to the county.

September 24, 2012

First electronic deed recording in New York State accepted by Westchester County Clerk

WHITE PLAINS, NY: Since 1684 land records have arrived in paper form in the Westchester County Clerk’s Office. On Monday September 24, 2012 the office welcomed a new way of doing business and became the first recording office in New York State to record a document submitted electronically.   “Until today the process of recording land records such as deeds and mortgages was the same across New York State,” began Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni.  “Original paper documents were delivered by hand, mail or courier service to offices such as ours.”  These papers were reviewed and index information was entered into paper or electronic index books.  Original paper documents were then returned, most commonly by regular mail, to the submitter.

Now, Westchester County Clerk Tim Idoni and his colleague Rockland County Clerk Paul Piperato are the first to accept land records such as deeds and mortgages electronically.  Instead of delivering paper documents, the paper is converted to an electronic image and sent electronically to the office.   Land records could not previously be electronically submitted due to a specific prohibition in the New York State Technology Law which was lifted this week, as a result of legislation enacted last year.

“Electronic recording is a win/win situation as it benefits both our customers and Westchester taxpayers,” continued County Clerk Idoni.  Electronic recording will shorten recording times from days to hours.  Errors can be corrected more quickly as the document can be returned and resubmitted electronically, often in the course of the same day.  Document control is improved as original documents are retained by the submitter and cannot be lost or misplaced during transit to and from a recording office.  Customers eliminate the cost of postage, overnight mail or courier charges.  The County Clerk’s Office eliminates the cost of mailing back rejected and recorded documents, as well as the costs associated with scanning documents.

County Clerk staffers will support the transition to electronic recording by providing free training classes and answer questions on their help line (914)-995-3111.  To learn more about electronic recording or to enroll in a class, visit www.WestchesterClerk.com.

The Office of the Westchester County Clerk is located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains and is open from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. weekdays, exclusive of holidays.  For additional information about the office, please visit WestchesterClerk.com, call (914)995-3080 or email .

October 31, 2012

Copies of Deeds and Mortgage Documents can be obtained from Westchester County Clerk’s Office

WHITE PLAINS, NY: Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni wants to reassure Westchester County residents and business owners not to worry about replacing vital records such as deeds and mortgage documents that may have been damaged or destroyed as a result of Hurricane Sandy. “All deed and mortgage documents for property located in Westchester County are recorded and safely maintained at the County Clerk’s office,” began County Clerk Idoni.  “Certified copies of these documents, which are legally equivalent to the original, can be issued quickly,” he stated.  

The County Clerk’s Land Records staff is here to help you obtain a copy of your deed.  You can visit the Land Records Division located at 110 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in White Plains between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.  Please arrive no later than 4:30 p.m. If you cannot visit our office and wish to obtain a certified copy of your land record by mail, please visit Westchester Records Online (wro.WestchesterClerk.com) to confirm that the record has been recorded by our office and to obtain the recording date.    Searching the complete index of our land records is free of charge.  Once you have confirmed the document has been recorded in our office, or if you need assistance with searching, please call (914)995-3094 or email for additional instructions, including the cost, of obtaining your copy by mail.

There is a nominal fee of $5.00 for up to four pages for a certified copy of your land record, with an additional $1.25 charged for each additional page.  A photocopy is even less expensive.

For additional information or assistance with obtaining a copy of your deed or mortgage papers, please visit www.WestchesterClerk.com or call (914)995-3082.

August 14, 2012

County Clerk’s Naturalization Ceremony is a gold medal winner for newest U.S. Citizens

WHITE PLAINS, NY: While millions watched athletes compete from around the world for gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2012 Olympics in London,  one hundred and twenty new U.S. citizens were naturalized in a courtroom in White Plains.  The ceremony, administered twice a month by the Office of the Westchester County Clerk, officially grants citizenship to new citizens who have successfully fulfilled all of the requirements established by Congress in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).  “Becoming a U.S. citizen is a gold medal achievement, fulfilling their own American dream,’ said County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni.

Much can be said about the festive and celebratory atmosphere of the naturalization ceremonies. Families, loved ones, friends and colleagues come to join in the achievement of this important milestone by the new citizens.  For Delores Young, who came here from Jamaica seven years ago, having two of her seven children here to witness her become officially “a part of a great country,” was a joy to behold.  Young, who resides in Yonkers, felt it important to experience her golden moment by becoming a citizen of the country she has come to love because all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were born in the United States.

While most people become U.S. citizens by birth within the United States or to U.S. citizen parents, others become U.S. citizens by naturalization. Naturalization is the process by which United States citizenship is conferred upon a foreign citizen or national when they fulfill the requirements.  These requirements include a period of residency within the United States, the ability to read, write and speak English, and an understanding of United States history. In addition, all naturalization applicants must demonstrate good moral character.

For many in attendance at the August ceremony, obtaining their U.S. citizenship was a long sought desire.  Take for instance, Ferenc Forintos, born in Hungary, who arrived in the U.S. twelve years ago.  Currently living in New Rochelle, Forintos credits his fiancée and her family for encouraging him to seek citizenship and fulfill many of his dreams. “My fiancée is from the States and she has always urged me to do this and I’m overjoyed that I did and to have her and her family here today is very special,” said an elated Forintos, who works in finance and hopes that with his citizenship, he can now pursue his long held dream of working for the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

As one of the greatest and most memorable Olympics comes to a close in spectacular fashion in London, for Jennifer Ann Cox, born in the country hosting this year’s games, there is no other place to be than here pledging allegiance to her adopted new country.   Coming to America twenty-three years ago, Cox, who resides in Katonah, was asked why she decided now to become a U.S. Citizen, to which she replied, “I feel American. I’ve lived here longer than I’ve lived in the U.K and I know I am going to be here forever.”

The feelings expressed by the new citizens participating in the naturalization ceremony can best be summed up by Cox, who planned to celebrate “with a nice cold beer and lunch at Legal Sea Foods!” along with her friends who came to cheer her on “Olympic games-style” at the Richard J. Daronco Courthouse.

For information on applying for citizenship, please visit the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services' website http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis or call (800)375-5283. For information about the naturalization ceremonies conducted by Westchester County Clerk’s office visit www.WestchesterClerk.com and click on the Services tab or call (914)995-3087.

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